The international symposium titled: “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together”, was organised by the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Malta, in collaboration with the Infection Prevention and Control department (IPC), Mater Dei Hospital (MDH), Malta, and Imperial College, London.
This symposium was held in the context of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022 (WAAW) and European Antibiotic Awareness Day 2022 (EAAD) a global campaign and a European health initiative that occurs annually by the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, to raise awareness and improve understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for students in health sciences, healthcare workers, the public and policymakers, who all play a critical role in reducing the emergence and spread of AMR.
The symposium was addressed by Dr Stephen Lungaro Mifsud, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr Trevor Abela Fiorentino, Head of Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences and Dr Ermira Tartari Bonnici , Lecturer, Faculty of Health Sciences, and Chair of the Organising Committee, University of Malta.The symposium hosted local and international experts in the field and a patient advocate from collaborating organisations.
Dr Enrique Castro-Sánchez, Senior Lecturer at Brunel University London on Planetary Health, Honorary Lecturer at Imperial College London and a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Malta, highlighted the importance of adopting integrated approaches to human health - central to Planetary Health - the interconnection of health with biological, social, economic, political, and environmental determinants of healthy human civilisations and the state of the natural systems on which they depend.
Prof. Michael Borg, Chair of National Antibiotic Committee, Head: Departments of Infection Control & Sterile Services, MDH gave an overview on the burden of Antibiotic Resistance in Malta. Prof Borg described a behavioural change implementation strategy and a good example that has led to an extraordinary reduction in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infection and major patient safety gains.
Vanessa Carter, Patient Advocate for Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health activist as well as an e-Patient Scholar at Stanford University, shared her experience following a car accident that caused her life-threatening injuries, the surgeries endured over ten years as part of her facial reconstruction treatment; and how a drug-resistant infection caused by MRSA contracted after one of those surgeries wreaked havoc on her life.
Dr Erica A Saliba Gustafsson, researcher at Karolinska Institute, Sweden presented on the general practitioners' antibiotic prescribing practices in Malta. She highlighted the complexity of the problem and the numerous influences on GP’s antibiotic prescribing decisions at the individual, organisational, community, and public policy level.
Dr Ermira Tartari Bonnici provided a global situation analysis of how IPC programmes are being implemented in countries worldwide based on Core Components of IPC guidelines. Infection prevention and vaccination need to be a cornerstone of the strategy to turn the tide on antimicrobial resistance. Promoting vaccine uptake for healthcare workers and patients, in response to seasonal respiratory viruses and combating other infectious diseases.
The symposium provided participants with the opportunity to experience an innovative virtual reality world focused on hand hygiene education and training aimed at driving behavioural change in clinical practice– considered a key strategy of IPC to prevent healthcare-associated infections, a game developed by Essity.
