The strategic plan for combating antimicrobial resistance in Gulf Cooperation Council States

Abstract

The Gulf Cooperation Council Center for Infection Control (GCC-IC) has placed the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on the top of its agenda for the past four years. The board members have developed the initial draft for the GCC strategic plan for combating AMR in 2014. The strategic plan stems from the WHO mandate to combat AMR at all levels. The need for engaging a large number of stakeholders has prompted the GCC-IC to engage a wider core of professionals in finalizing the plan. A multi-disciplinary group of more than 40 experts were then identified. And a workshop was conducted in Riyadh January 2015 and included, for the first time, representation of relevant ministries and agencies as well as international experts in the field. Participants worked over a period of two and a half days in different groups. International experts shared the global experiences and challenges in addressing human, food, animal, and environmental aspects of controlling AMR. Participants were then divided into 4 groups each to address the human, animal, microbiological and diagnostic, or the environmental aspect of AMR. At the end of the workshop, the strategic plan was revised and endorsed by all participants. The GCC-IC board members then approved it as the strategic plan for AMR. The document produced here is the first GCC strategic plan addressing AMR, which shall be adopted by GCC countries to develop country-based plans and related key performance indicators (KPIs). It is now the role of each country to identify the body that will be accountable for implementing the plan at the country level.

Hospital adoption of antimicrobial stewardship programmes in Gulf Cooperation Council countries: A review of existing evidence

“…Although the GCC strategic plan to combat antimicrobial resistance is still at its infancy [27], it is nonetheless, the first step towards establishing common ASPs across the region, taking advantage of the common geographic, economic and social characteristics amongst the member states; similar to the example of the European Union adoption of ASPs in hospitals in 2006 [61].…”

“…We also identified a strategic plan for combatting antimicrobial resistance in GCC States, which was introduced in 2015 in response to the rising rates of antimicrobial resistance [27]. This is an overall framework to address the problem of resistance in the region, and each member state is expected to formulate their action plan according to their local resistance data and public health resources.…”

“…The adoption of ASPs in hospitals in GCC member states remains low due to a variety of individual and institutional barriers. A national strategy regarding antimicrobial stewardship for local implementation is essential to drive forward the efforts to curb inappropriate antimicrobial use and reduce resistance [27,81]. Further, any national antimicrobial strategy should contribute to the overall regional targets of reducing resistance and improving antimicrobials use, especially since GCC member states collaborate extensively in relation to healthcare services, allow free movement of persons, and share characteristics of geography, culture, and economic resources.…”

The knowledge, practice, and attitude regarding antibiotic use among attendants of primary health care centres: a cross-sectional study in Qatar

“…11 During 2016, the GCC infection control board (GCC-IC) released its first strategic plan to combat antimicrobial resistance with focus on four main aspects of the issue, one of which is the human aspect. 12 In Qatar, patients receive medications from private community pharmacies, dispensaries affiliated with primary care clinics, and outpatient dispensaries in hospitals. Several studies have been conducted regarding local antibiotic use; with some focusing on patients' attitude towards antibiotic use for certain diseases, while others being conducted in the community setting.…”

The Research on Strategic Human Resource Management and the HR Scorecard

“…Achieving Strategic Fit Strategic planning [8][9][10] experts have different views on fitting capabilities to the opportunities and threats vs. stretching beyond capabilities to take advantage of an opportunity.…”