GARDP, WHO, ICMR to collaborate for studying sepsis & AMR

05 July 2018 | News

Outcomes of interest will include mortality, antibiotic use, and duration of antimicrobial therapy.

Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and ICMR jointly organised an event on reducing neonatal and child mortality by addressing drug resistance through collaboration, research, and innovation. 

More than 80 researchers from 11 countries recently met in New Delhi to kick off an observational study to understand sepsis in newborns and current antibiotic prescribing practices. This is part of the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership's (GARDP's) broader programme to develop new and improved antibiotic treatments for newborns. The observational study, led by the GARDP, is benefiting from $2 million funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support study sites in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda.

The study will generate a robust evidence base on how neonatal sepsis is managed which can be used as a basis for evaluating future interventions in neonates. Outcomes of interest will include mortality, antibiotic use, and duration of antimicrobial therapy.

The data generated from the study will inform GARPD's ambition to develop and deliver new antibiotic treatments for newborns with drug-resistant bacterial infections. Limited research on newborns has resulted in a lack of evidence about appropriate treatment of serious and drug-resistant infections in this vulnerable population.

Newborns' susceptibility to sepsis is further compounded by the challenges of diagnosing serious bacterial infections since symptoms and signs can be non-specific and difficult to detect.

Prof Balram Bhargav Secretary Department of Health Research and Director General ICMR highlighted the importance of a joint role of all the stake holders to reduce Infant mortality rate and Anti microbial resistance (AMR).

GARDP established in 2016, is a joint initiative by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as a founding partner of DNDi, has been instrumental in GARDP’s set up and programmes in India.

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