Introducing ProMED-AMR

Abstract

Purpose: The ProMED Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) network launched in 2020 in order to further inform subscribers about AMR, its mechanisms, causes, and management strategies on a global scale. Methods & Materials: The ProMED-AMR network uses various sources for disease surveillance including social media posts, news articles, first-hand reports, reports from non-government organisations, government reports, blogs, and current scientific journal articles. Our panel of ProMED-AMR moderators experts screen submissions to validate authenticity, provide context and describe the importance of the report. The network covers the six World Health Organization regions, with a dedicated AMR moderator for each region. Reports are distributed to our email subscriber list, on our website and on social media. Results: Since launching the network in May 2020, ProMED-AMR has published 492 posts. Of these, 33% concerned global AMR issues; 30% AMR in Asia, 13% AMR in the Americas, 14% AMR in Europe, and smaller percentages AMR in Africa, Western Pacific and Eastern Mediterranean regions. ProMED-AMR posts address a range of themes relating to AMR including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic usage, antibiotic overuse in human and veterinary medicine, farmed animals, aquaculture, and plant agriculture, AMR mechanisms, regulation of antimicrobial use, the development of new antimicrobials, AMR surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, AMR outbreaks, and strategies to slow the spread and evolution of AMR. Conclusion: ProMED-AMR monitors developments in antimicrobial resistance on a global basis, using diverse sources of information. Reports are carefully screened for validity and importance, and are placed in an appropriate context by commentary from a panel of expert moderators. The reports are then posted on the Internet, available to users free of charge, complementing traditional sources of information.