Antimicrobial Stewardship for Africa (FutureLearn)

You’ll explore the burden of antimicrobial resistance in Africa and the importance of microbiology investigations in antibiotic therapy.

You’ll learn about antibiotic misuse and overuse as a driver of antimicrobial resistance and how to develop antibiotic guidelines.

Finally, you’ll evaluate the strategies that have been implemented in African hospitals and make more effective use of antimicrobials.

What topics will you cover?

- The global versus African burden of resistance, importance of microbiology investigations before or during antibiotic therapy

- Antibiotic misuse and overuse as a driver of antimicrobial resistance

- Strengthening the ICAN network to support stewardship and infection prevention

- Basic interventions /tools to support stewardship

- How to develop antibiotic guidelines and policies

- Incorporating antimicrobial stewardship into hospital infection control programs

- Using Education and feedback to change behaviour for antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

- Evaluate the effectiveness of using the strategies, tools and interventions in AMS that have been implemented in African hospitals

- Investigate the use of laboratory support and measurement, where available, to improve antimicrobial prescribing.

- Explore how to improve prescribing without laboratory diagnostics.

- Evaluate the influence of cultural issues on prescribing habits and the value of behaviour change science in successful antimicrobial stewardship.

- Assess the value of networks, such as ICAN, to support stewardship and infection prevention.

- Develop antibiotic guidelines and policies to suit your practice and location.