Evidence needed for antimicrobial resistance surveillance systems

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Veterinary Medicine

Background:

• One Health surveillance for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been advocated for over a decade by scientific and international bodies.
• Existing guidelines primarily focus on data integration, potentially limiting the full benefits of the One Health approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify critical issues for enhancing the understanding of One Health surveillance effectiveness for AMR.
• To outline evidence requirements for countries integrating their surveillance systems.
• To explore strategies for optimizing One Health surveillance integration beyond data collection.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and experiences from Canada and other countries.
• Analysis of current guidelines and practices in One Health surveillance for AMR.
• Conceptual exploration of integrating One Health principles across surveillance activities.

Main Results:

• More effort is required to quantify the added value of One Health for AMR surveillance.
• Effective integration strategies need further identification and validation.
• Applying One Health principles to broader surveillance tasks (analysis, interpretation, dissemination) is crucial.

Conclusions:

• The effectiveness of One Health AMR surveillance can be improved by moving beyond data integration to encompass the entire surveillance process.
• Enhanced integration across surveillance activities, considering diverse expertise, is key.
• Further research into the mechanisms of One Health surveillance is essential for improving AMR control and public health outcomes.