07/03/2022
The global impact of COVID-19 has shone a light on the need to reconsider infection management as a whole. That’s why, earlier this year, the Infection Management Coalition (IMC) launched a new White Paper calling for transformational change in the way infection is detected, monitored, prevented, and managed across all facets of the NHS, healthcare systems and broader society.
Developed by a diverse coalition of partners spanning pharmaceuticals, patient organisations, MedTech and diagnostics, the paper calls for a whole system approach to infection management which addresses outbreak and pandemic preparedness, infection prevention, rapid treatment of time-critical viral and bacterial infection, and the delivery of effective antimicrobial stewardship. Building on the findings discussed in the Lancet’s global report on the burden of AMR1, the White Paper outlines the ways in which we can, and must, come together to deliver this holistic change.
Through its summary of recommendations, the report identifies the owners, timelines and required actions within 4 key areas:
1 |
Data |
2 |
Diagnostics and treatment |
3 |
End-to-end care |
4 |
Awareness and education |
As a next step, the IMC is calling for the development of cohesive policy to support its roadmap of action. This includes working collectively to publish holistic infection management plans that support both immediate and long-term changes for the better.
Published February 2022.
“We must collectively take the lessons from COVID-19 and ‘build back better’ by improving diagnostics and the pace at which interventions are implemented to ensure that we are prepared for future infectious epidemics and pandemics. No one sector can achieve this single-handedly. We're committed and delighted to have had the opportunity to input into this White Paper and its recommendations, which aims to align with Government and truly advocate for a ‘One Health’ multi-sectoral approach to pandemic preparedness and infections management.”
Dr Tom Ashfield, Senior Medical Affairs Advisor, Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship, Pfizer UK
References
The Lancet. Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis. Accessed March 2023.