Dr Alaa AbouElfetouh (Alexandria University, Egypt)
Most African countries are lower- or middle-income and they bear the greatest burden of antimicrobial resistance because of limited resources, insufficient lab and diagnostic capacities, poor surveillance infrastructure and staggering antimicrobial stewardship efforts and infection control plans. These handicaps negatively impact public healthcare programs. Research has the potential to make a difference through guiding public health policies and informing antimicrobial stewardship and infection control plans. Yet historically for many reasons, fewer studies on antimicrobial resistance are published from Africa. Most of these studies focus on infections in healthcare settings which are usually harder to manage. In recent years, the incidence of community associated infections has been increasing which might signify a change in the epidemiological dynamics of infection.
To fill the knowledge gap and increase impact on public health Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control is launching a thematic series, entitled Combatting antimicrobial resistance in Africa through surveillance and capacity building.
In this series the journal invites researchers, particularly those from Africa but all are welcome, to submit high quality research targeting antimicrobial resistance challenges facing the African continent in both community and hospital settings. The series covers all aspects of the fight against antimicrobial resistance, primarily surveillance, improved diagnostics, antimicrobial stewardship, infection control, education, etc. and how that would translate into national public health policies. Articles covering one or more of these aspects in a One Health approach are especially welcome.
The series includes all manuscript types: original research articles, systematic reviews and meta-analysis articles.