Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics
Mission Statement
The mission of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) is to strengthen global defenses against infectious disease by ensuring access to effective treatment and promoting appropriate antibiotic use to contain drug resistance. With a network of affiliated colleagues, APUA stands as the world’s leading organisation conducting research and education on antimicrobial treatment and resistance at the grassroots and global levels.
ISAC/APUA Newsletter - Special UNGA edition
The International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ISAC) and the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) are delighted to share a special issue of ISAC / APUA Newsletter to mark the important occasion of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR taking place today (26 September) in New York.
The meeting is an opportunity for world leaders to collectively address the urgent threat AMR poses to global health, food security and achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
After demonstrating its continued commitment to fighting antimicrobial resistance, ISAC received special accreditation to attend. Representing ISAC at the meeting is Prof. David Jenkins (ISAC Executive Committee member).
Read his editorial on the proposed Declaration which is the main focus of today's UNGA high-level AMR meeting.
United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR
David JenkinsAntibiotic shortages: an overview
Huong Vu Thi Lan, Miki Nagao, Fatima Allaw, Linus Ndegwa, Gabriel Levy Hara, Souha S. Kanj, Pierre TattevinAntimicrobial stewardship: a One Health perspective
Fatma Abdelaziz Amer and Manar G. GebrielThe development of the ABX Guide: a pathogen-directed consensus guideline for antimicrobial use in resource-constrained settings
Hind Kadri, Neda Milevska-Kostova, Souha Kanj, Heiman Wertheim
The newsletter also features details on ISAC and APUA's latest free educational activities. Please email secretariat@isac.world with any suggestions for future articles. View / download the newsletter here
APUA webinars | Invitation to attend
We are pleased to share details of two short webinars hosted by the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) happening next week. We are hosting two webinars to ensure we cover as many time zones as possible.
The main aim of these webinars is to identify and prioritise the objectives of existing APUA members. But we also invite colleagues interested in joining APUA to attend.
There will be a short introduction / overview of ISAC and APUA and a presentation from one of our Project Grant Awardees. The majority of the webinar will be devoted to group discussion so we can decide how we can best serve our members.
To attend the webinars, please register using the links below. There are two registration links so if you want to join both webinars, please sign up to each one).
Places are limited and existing members will receive priority.
18 September, 17.00 - 18.00 CET
REGISTER
19 September, 10.00 - 11.00 CET
REGISTER
Introducing the ABX Guide
We are excited to announce a series of six webinars to mark the launch of the ABX Guide, an open-access antibiotic treatment guideline focused on pathogen-directed treatment in resource-constrained settings. The ABX Guide will be accessible through an open access website.
These webinars will delve into the relevance of the ABX Guide and the development process behind its treatment recommendations. We will explore its application across various geographic regions, featuring speakers who will highlight related projects and initiatives. Join us to engage with experts and stakeholders in the field, and contribute to advancing global health through informed antibiotic stewardship.
The next webinar in the series to launch the ABX Guide, an open-access antibiotic treatment-guide focussed on pathogen-directed treatment for resource-constrained settings, is taking place on 17 September.
Antibiotic susceptibility patterns used for epidemiologic surveillance of Staphylococcus aureus
There have been recent studies in the US and Spain showing emerging resistance in MSSA to macrolides and to tetracyclines. ST398 S. aureus strains, initially identified as “livestock associated MRSA” are a fascinating example. Studies of clinical S. aureus strains have in some cases included molecular epidemiology suggesting that ST398 S. aureus strains may be responsible for a change in the relative prevalence of strains causing clinically significant disease. Other studies have examined national or transnational emergence of various increasingly common strains of MRSA and MSSA, using susceptibility patterns to track strain emergence or change over time. Listen to this webinar and hear from 3 experts in the field on these topics.
Travel Grants to attend 33rd ICC
There is only ONE week to submit abstracts and apply for travel grants to attend the 33rd International Congress of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ICC) in Istanbul, Turkey from 3 - 6 November 2024.
All accepted abstracts will be published in ISAC’s open access journal, the Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance (JGAR).
There are three types of awards are available:
ISAC Young Investigator Travel Awards
ISAC YITAs are available to applicants from ISAC Member Societies.
Applicants must be under the age of 35 years at the time of the congress.
ICC Young Investigator Travel Awards
ICC YITAs are available to colleagues in Türkiye and neighbouring countries.
Applicants must be under the age of 35 years at the time of the congress.
Eastern European Travel Grants
Colleagues residing in Eastern Europe are invited to apply for travel grants to attend the ICC.
Applicants from relevant ISAC Member Societies and abstract submitters will be given priority.
Applicants at all stages of their careers are invited to apply and there are no age restrictions.
Deadline: 26 July 2024
On-demand | Antifungal resistance in Candida and Aspergillus
Fungal infections, in their various manifestations, affect millions of people worldwide and cause a very high morbidity and mortality. The new threats in the field of invasive mycoses and the new drugs recently available are reviewed in this webinar by internationally recognised experts.
1. Epidemiology of Fungal Infections with a focus in antifungal resistance - Dr Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo
2. Detection of antifungal resistance: from MICs to SNPs - Dr Jesús Guinea
3. Clinical impact & new therapeutic options for managing antifungal resistant fungi - Dr Antonio Vena
Antibiotic cards - Vietnamese translations
We are delighted to share the Vietnamese translations of five cards for antibiotics commonly used in Vietnam.
We are very grateful to our colleagues from the Antimicrobial Stewardship Research Collaboration between Oxford University Clinical Research Unit and the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases Vietnam for translating these cards.
Antifungal resistance in Candida and Aspergillus
Fungal infections, in their various manifestations, affect millions of people worldwide and cause a very high morbidity and mortality.
The new threats in the field of invasive mycoses and the new drugs recently available will be reviewed in our next webinar by internationally recognised experts.
Join us at the next free ISAC webinar on 10 June.
ISAC / APUA Newsletter - Spring 2024
The International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ISAC) and the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) are delighted to share the latest issue of the ISAC / APUA Newsletter.
This issue contains three excellent feature articles:
Identifying targets for antibiotic utilisation for the management of resistant pathogens in hospital settings: a threshold logistic modelling approach
Mamoon A. Aldeyab, Stuart E. Bond, William J. Lattyak and Ian GouldHand hygiene: playing the “trump card”
Fatma Abdelaziz Amer and Rehab M. Elsaid TashExamining contextual determinants for antimicrobial stewardship in hospital settings in an LMIC in Asia: experience from Vietnam
Huong Vu, Duong Hai Yen, Elizabeth Dodds Ashley, Deverick J. Anderson, Nguyen Trung Cap, Pham Ngoc Thach and H Rogier van Doorn
The newsletter also features information on all ISAC and APUA's latest free educational iniatiatives.
Please email secretariat@isac.world with any suggestions for future articles.
Antibiotic cards
We are pleased to share the next five antibiotic summary cards in the series. You can now download the following cards for free:
Cefepime, Ceftazidime-Avibactam, Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Piperacillin-Tazobactam
All other cards in the series can still be donwloaded.
The cards have so far been downloaded over 10,000 times from countries around the world.
APUA on Linkedin
APUA is now on Linkedin. Keep up to date with the latest news on APUA’s activities and other likeminded organisations who promote the prudent use of antibiotics and aim to combat resistance around the world.
Call for APUA members
APUA currently has a Board of elected international members. To further promote and highlight global AMS / AMR issues, APUA is now expanding its individual membership which is open to individuals with an interest in this field. Non-governmental organisations with aims similar to APUA are welcome to apply also.
APUA Membership is free and will put you at the heart of an international network to advocate for better use of antibiotics.
Membership offers several benefits including the following:
• The opportunity to share and collaborate on projects with colleagues globally.
• To participate in APUA webinars, position papers and other initiatives.
• To communicate and publish in the popular ISAC / APUA newsletters.
Just published | ISAC / APUA Newsletter
The International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ISAC) and the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) are delighted to share a special issue of the ISAC / APUA Newsletter to mark World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2023.
This issue contains four excellent feature articles and a timely editorial by Pierre Tattevin (APUA Board Chair):
The continuing mission of APUA
Pierre TattevinAntifungal stewardship during COVID-19 times
Sara F. Haddad, Souha S. Kanj and Jeroen SchoutenOptimising patient outcomes through diagnostic stewardship
Johnny Zakhour and Souha S. KanjBeyond the pill: Transformative approaches to combat AMR
Abdul Ghafur on behalf of AMR Declaration Trust / APUAThe Global AMS Partnership Hub (GASPH)
Dilip Nathwani
The newsletter also features the news on the latest activities by ISAC and APUA. You can read the newsletter online and download it via the following e-reader:
READ / DOWNLOAD
New antibiotic summary cards
For the occasion of World AMR Awareness Week 2023, the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) is proud to announce the launch of the second batch of ‘Antibiotic cards’ for a further six antibiotics currently in use with further cards to follow. This project aims to provide a summary of the main characteristics of selected antibiotics. These antibiotic cards have been primarily designed to assist the prescribers in the selection of the most appropriate antibiotic, with optimal dosages, and to provide guidance to those who take care of patients who receive antibiotics.
These antibiotic cards have been produced by members of the APUA board and colleagues, with no support from the pharmaceutical industry, and are available free of charge. They share a common design, with a special focus on their antimicrobial spectrum, main indications, dosing, and adverse events. We hope that you will find them useful and that these antibiotic cards will contribute to better use of antibiotics worldwide, the primary goal of APUA.
Tackling AMR in hospital settings
Join experts from around the globe, including Prof. Pierre Tattevin (representing the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics [APUA]) at this free webinar organised by the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery to coincide with World AMR Awareness Week 2023 (WAAW).
📆21 November 2023
To give people from all over the world the opportunity to connect, the webinar will last 15 hours, starting at 6.55 a.m. UTC and ending at 10.00 p.m. UTC.
JUST PUBLISHED
Download the latest ISAC / APUA Newsletter which contains features articles, a round-up of the latest AMR news as well as ISAC / APUA society news.
Volume 41, No. 2
Summer 2023
Antibiotic access and use in the community setting in Africa and Asia: introducing the ABACUS projects
Annelie L. Monnier and Heiman F. L. Wertheim on behalf of the ABACUS II consortiumProsthetic valve endocarditis following transcatheter aortic valve replacement: insights on microbiology, prophylaxis and treatment strategies
Saliba Wehbe, Suha Kalash, Fatima Allaw, Johnny Zakhour and Souha S. Kanj5th Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety
Pierre TattevinOptimised doses of polymyxins to improve outcomes for non-critically ill and critically ill patients with MDR Gram-negative bacterial infection
Puteri Zamri
AMR Declaration Trust / APUA webinar
We are delighted to invite you to a joint webinar by the AMR Declaration Trust and the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA):
"Beyond the pill: Transformative approaches to combat antimicrobial resistance"
26th August 2023
13.30 - 15.30 (CET) / 17:00 - 19:00 (IST)
We kindly request you distribute the attached flyer among your networks, including members of the medical community, policymakers, industry professionals and the public.
Please note there is no fee to register but registration is mandatory.
AMR Control Under One Health
This plenary lecture was presented at the 32nd International Congress of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ICC) in Perth, Australia.
Global leader Prof. Ramanan Laxminarayan presents an excellent plenary lecture on understanding how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) should be managed in the One Health context. The One Health concept recognises that the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment are interconnected. Ramanan Laxminarayan is the Founder and President of the One Health Trust founded as the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP).
Viral Respiratory Tract Infections (RTIs): superinfections
The Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) hosted this recent webinar on viral respiratory tract infections: superinfections.
Superinfection of viral respiratory infection has been one of the hottest topics during the first waves of COVID-19: although it was rapidly demonstrated that coinfections were rare during the first days, fungal or bacterial superinfections was a major cause of death for intensive care unit patients on various immunosuppressive treatments (dexamethasone, IL6-inhibitors, etc.), who required prolonged mechanical ventilation. More recently, the burden of Group A streptococci superinfections have dramatically increased, in children and in adults, for reasons that still remain unclear.
Watch the on-demand recording to hear from three worldwide experts in the field of superinfections who shared with us the main features of these hot topics.
Open access ISAC / APUA article
Diagnostic stewardship in infectious diseases: a continuum of antimicrobial stewardship in the fight against antimicrobial resistance
Johnny Zakhour, Sara F Haddad, Anthony Kerbage, Wertheim Heiman, Pierre Tattevin, Andreas Voss, Serhat Ünal, Abdoul Salam Ouedraogo, Souha S Kanj on behalf of the International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ISAC) and the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA)
Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2023 Apr 13;106816.
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an imminent threat to global health and has been exacerbated by the inappropriate use of diagnostics that lead to excessive prescription of antimicrobials. Diagnostic stewardship (DS) is an auxiliary to antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and emphasizes on ordering the right tests for the right patient at the right time. It also promotes the judicious use of rapid and novel molecular diagnostic tools to allow for initiation of proper antibiotic therapy while avoiding excessive use of broad-spectrum antibiotics when not needed. Proper interpretation of test results is crucial to avoid overdiagnosis, and excessive healthcare costs. Although many rapid diagnostic tools have been developed with a high diagnostic yield, they are often limited by accessibility, cost, and lack of knowledge regarding their use. Careful consideration of clinical signs and symptoms with knowledge of the local epidemiology are cardinal for DS. This allows for appropriate interpretation of microbiological results. Multidisciplinary teams that involve well trained professionals should cooperate to promote DS. Challenges and barriers to the implementation of DS are mostly caused by scarcity of resources and trained personnel, and most importantly, lack of knowledge. The lack of resources is often due to absence of awareness of the impact that good medical microbiology diagnostic facilities and expertise can have on the proper use of antibiotics.
The International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ISAC) and the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) are delighted to share the latest issue of the ISAC / APUA Newsletter.
This issue contains four excellent feature articles:
A new resistance combatting strategy
Robin PatelAntimicrobial treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa severe sepsis
Johnny Zakhour, Sima L. Sharara, Joya-Rita Hindy, Sara F. Haddad, Souha S. KanjHAPPY PATIENT project: an update
Carl Llor, Lars Bjerrum, Pierre TattevinThe ISAC Early Career Working Group: providing support to the next generation of researchers
Jinxin Zhao, Yu-Wei Lin, Nusaibah Abdul Rahim, Iris Minichmayr
The newsletter also features a round-up of recent antimicrobial resistance and stewardship news, as well as ISAC / APUA society updates.
Please email secretariat@isac.world with any suggestions for future articles.
If you are attending ECCMID, stop by the ISAC booth (booth #B3-07 1D) and pick up a copy of the newsletter or find out more about ISAC / APUA and the 33rd International Congress of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ICC).
Antibiotic Cards
The Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) is proud to announce the launch of ‘Antibiotic cards’ for some of the main antibiotics currently in use with further cards to follow. This project, initiated by Mushira Enani, aims to provide a summary of the main characteristics of selected antibiotics. These antibiotic cards have been primarily designed to assist the prescribers in the selection of the most appropriate antibiotic, with optimal dosages, and to provide guidance to those who take care of patients who receive antibiotics.
These antibiotic cards have been produced by members of the APUA board, with no support from the pharmaceutical industry, and are available free of charge through our website. They share a common design, with a special focus on their antimicrobial spectrum, main indications, dosing, and adverse events. We hope that you will find them useful and that these antibiotic cards will contribute to better use of antibiotics worldwide, the primary goal of APUA.
Microbial Theranostics - a Resistance Combatting Strategy
Prof. Robin Patel presented the opening lecture at the 32nd International Congress of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ICC) on "Microbial Theranostics - a Resistance Combatting Strategy".
In this lecture, Prof. Patel presents a potential strategy to help in the fight against the global antimicrobial resistance crisis through better diagnostics.
Subscribe to ISAC's YouTube Channel to watch other excellent plenary / keynote lectures as they are uploaded.
Visit www.ISAC.world for more information about ISAC and how to join.
"Antibiotics are uniquely societal drugs because individual use affects others in the community and environment. Better stewardship, incentives, and establishment of a special regulatory category will improve how they are used, marketed, and developed through incentives to industry."
Stuart B. Levy, M.D.
President of APUA, professor at Tufts University School of Medicine
From the IOM 25th Anniversary Symposium (1996) and The Antibiotic Paradox (2002)