UNC’s Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program has partnered with UNC Medical Center’s Infection Prevention Program to join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Challenge.
“The AMR Challenge is a way for governments, private companies, and non-governmental organizations worldwide to make formal commitments that further the progress against antimicrobial resistance,” according the CDC. The Challenge encourages a One Health approach, recognizing that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment.” The Challenge kicked off at the 2018 UN General Assembly and runs though September 2019.
As part of the AMR Challenge, UNC’s Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention Programs have committed to reducing the risk of antimicrobial resistance and C. difficile infections at UNC hospitals. UNC Medical Center (UNCMC) is measuring a decrease in infection rates over time. UNCMC will also decrease unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotic use by prompting review and evaluation of antibiotic use after 48 hours (antibiotic time-out), enhanced stewardship activities, and infection prevention efforts focused on preventing hospital-acquired infections.
It is hoped that the Challenge will renew commitments to combatting antibiotic resistance with effects that extend well beyond the one year time period of the Challenge itself. UNC Medical Center is proud to lead the charge in its corner of the world.