Graphical Abstract
Graphical Abstract.
LI, low-income countries; LMIC, low- and middle-income countries; HMI, high- and middle-income countries; HIC, high-income countries.
Resource web link: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/329380/9789241516358-eng.pdf (Full classification scheme available at: http://bsac.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Educational-resource-review-classification-scheme.pdf)
WHO region and country (World Bank): European Region, Switzerland (HIC)
Peer review commentary
WHO has a crucial global role in collating and making available AMR education and training resources to support educators, decision makers and others to implement effective policies and practice to control the spread of AMR. This curricula guide published in October 2019 is the most recent of the educational resources to support this. This guide compliments the WHO 2018 competency framework for healthcare professionals in AMR to ensure that healthcare workers are equipped with practical competencies to manage antimicrobials according to their roles or allowed scope of practice. The guide is designed to help users adapt their own curricula according to context and needs.
The guide is thorough and modular—foundations that build awareness of AMR, appropriate use of antimicrobial agents, infection prevention and control, diagnostic stewardship, surveillance and ethics, leadership, communication and governance. It is aimed at prescribers and others including non-prescribers, healthcare workers in a supportive role, public health and health service officers/managers. The learning objectives are aligned to key competencies and, refreshingly, the curriculum guide offers a range of suggested assessment methods. The latter is often a challenge in many healthcare systems. Therefore, offering a range of methods depending on local resources, challenges and context is extremely valuable as are the two annexes which provide a stepwise way of undertaking an institutional review of AMR curricula and key strategies to strengthen educators’ competencies. The latter, whilst an increasingly accepted way of ensuring good quality educators and faculty is not widely appreciated or undertaken in developing countries. The ambition outlined in the annex is well intentioned but the commitment and resources for doing this are likely to represent a challenge for many, particularly as mandatory continuing professional development is immature or non-existent in a large proportion of countries. Implementation is always a key, and a challenge. Whether accreditation can be a lever for this is not explored. Some kind of assessment with follow-up support of how health facilities are doing is definitely needed here.
The document is not always an easy read, and as expected from something that aims to include a range of professionals/roles there is a lot of repetition. However, for those resourcing, planning, implementing and evaluating healthcare worker education in AMR in their setting this should quickly become their reference point. Well done WHO.