European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

STRENGTHENING KNOWLEDGE AND EVIDENCE TO COMBAT ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE IN SUDAN

Ghada Omer Shouna*, Maye Abu Omar and Samira Hamid Abdelrahman

ABSTRACT

The issue of antimicrobial resistance is a priority area identified by the Government of Sudan and development partners. This paper is part of a rapid assessment using the available documents covering all relevant fields pertaining to AMR. Documents were obtained from relevant websites for policies, strategies, guidelines, reports, and plans as well as relevant individuals from WHO Office Sudan, Federal Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of General Education, and Sudan Medical Council in Khartoum. The review was guided by the WHO five strategic objectives of the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. This paper focuses on the second objective on strengthening the knowledge and evidence base through surveillance and research. The importance of improved surveillance and research in combating antimicrobial resistance has been well acknowledged in Sudan. However, a number of gaps have been identified, which include absence of a proper and functioning monitoring system on antimicrobial resistant pathogens, limited research on antibiotic usage coupled with lack of culture of research and research governance structure. There is an urgent need for a functioning surveillance system that could provide information to guide in the development of policies to tackle the problem of antimicrobial resistance in the country as well national capacity for detection and reporting of priority antimicrobial resistant pathogens. Equally important is the need to clearly define research governance in Sudan in terms of structure and processes in order to facilitate proper collaboration, coordination and harmonisation, including mechanisms to advance the quality of research.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, surveillance, research, drug use evaluation, Sudan.