New Free Courses for Healthcare Professionals To Address Antimicrobial Resistance

The AMR EDUCare project, funded by EU4Health and hosted by the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) in which ISGlobal’s Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative participates, has launched educational modules to combat antimicrobial resistance. These modules will be available in an online format —with limited places and pre-registration—, are free of charge and will take place in March, April, and/or May of this year.

“The AMR EDUCare courses are designed to provide new knowledge and practical strategies to more than 4,000 healthcare professionals across the European Union,” explains Jordi Vila, Director of ISGlobal's Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative. “The training is aimed at nursing, pharmacy, medicical, and medical management teams,” he adds.

Three Key Areas of Training

The first module of the course focuses on the optimization of antimicrobial prescription, ensuring that healthcare professionals apply best practices for more effective and responsible use. 

The training programme also addresses the reduction and management of antimicrobial waste, a key aspect in minimizing environmental impact and preventing the emergence of resistance.

The third module, coordinated and led by Jordi Vila, Elisabet Guiral, and Marina Tarrús, will train healthcare professionals in communication techniques to educate patients on the responsible use of antibiotics and to change their behaviour to prevent the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

“To develop the module, we conducted workshops with the participation of both the general public (aged 17 to 95) and professionals from medicine, nursing, and pharmacy,” explains Marina Tarrús, Co-Coordinator at ISGlobal’s Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative and Scientific Outreach Specialist. “This participatory dynamic helped us identify barriers and facilitators in professional-patient communication,” she adds.

The "Silent Pandemic"

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become resistant to these drugs, making it more difficult to treat several infections.

It is a global health threat that has grown alarmingly in recent decades and is now known as the 'silent pandemic'. In 2019 alone, it was directly linked to 1.27 million deaths worldwide. In the European Union, 25,000 deaths per year are linked to infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Furthermore, it is estimated that by 2050, antimicrobial resistance will be responsible for approximately 10 million deaths, overtaking cancer as a leading cause of death, if no action is taken. Addressing this issue is crucial, as it could have a devastating impact on healthcare systems.

“The courses will be available in multiple languages to provide healthcare professionals worldwide with essential tools to combat antimicrobial resistance,” concludes Elisabet Guiral, Co-Coordinator of ISGlobal’s Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative.