In the on-going struggle between human beings and organisms like viruses and bacteria that can cause disease, no armament of microorganisms has been more challenging than their capacity to develop a resistance to life-saving drugs. The resistance to multiple antibiotics along with their capacity to spread easily led to a significant global health concern. The pace at which antimicrobial resistance develops often outstrips the introduction of new substances that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria and other parasites. Consequently, there are few better options than to curb the emergence and spread of these superbugs other than monitoring and tracking multidrug-resistant organisms to identify strategies to reduce, manage and potentially eliminate the risk.
The Global One Health initiative (GOHi) initiated a program in 2024 to monitor carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative organisms – a bacteria that has been found to be resistant to certain antibiotics considered a last resort for treating severe infections – in the adult intensive care unit of Zewditu Memorial Hospital. Building on the insights gained from this pilot, GOHi has expanded the program to four additional ICUs at Zewditu and Tikur Anbessa Hospitals. In early March, GOHi launched a screening program and provided training for 25 staff members of Target Prevention Units on the scientific principles of active surveillance, screening patients to identify if they might carry multidrug-resistant organisms to prevent outbreaks, and to conduct studies based on data collection of this specific population.
As the first initiative of its kind in Ethiopia, GOHi's experience will serve as a learning opportunity for other institutions. It will also generate essential data for the national antimicrobial resistance surveillance program, highlighting the burden of asymptomatic colonization compared to the infection prevalence typically reported through passive surveillance across Ethiopian facilities. This information will, in turn, offer valuable insights for preventing the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms and enhancing patient safety nationwide.