Strengthening antimicrobial resistance surveillance across African military settings

Area of Science:

• Global Health Security
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Military Medicine

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance is progressing in civilian health systems but lags in military contexts.
• Military personnel face heightened risks of drug-resistant infections due to deployment environments (combat, overcrowding, poor sanitation).
• African national AMR strategies often overlook military health data, leaving AMR trends in these populations and conflict zones poorly documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the unique AMR challenges within African military settings.
• To propose strategies for integrating military medical surveillance data into national AMR frameworks.
• To enhance understanding and containment of antimicrobial resistance in vulnerable populations.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and analysis of existing AMR surveillance frameworks.
• Examination of international models for military health surveillance (e.g., US Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division).
• Proposal of strategies for integrating military medical data into national health systems.

Main Results:

• Military health facilities can serve as valuable sentinel sites for AMR monitoring.
• Integration of military data can significantly improve the comprehensiveness of national AMR surveillance.
• Enhanced surveillance supports more inclusive and effective containment strategies for drug-resistant infections.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need to incorporate military health surveillance into national AMR strategies in Africa.
• Strengthening antimicrobial stewardship within military facilities is essential to curb inappropriate antimicrobial use.
• A One Health approach integrating civilian and military data is vital for robust AMR containment.