Workshop held to review National AMR surveillance program and bacteriology laboratory capacity in Nepal

Lalitpur, Nepal – The National Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), with support from WHO Country Office for Nepal convened a workshop on 12-13 January to review and disseminate findings from the National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance Program. The workshop brought together over 80 participants, including high-level officials from the MoHP, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the Ministry of Forest and Environment, as well as policymakers, clinicians, laboratory professionals, veterinarians and food safety experts. Discussions focused on the importance of laboratory-generated data to promote rational antibiotic use; progress and challenges in AMR containment across human, veterinary and food sectors; and strategies to enhance surveillance activities. On the second day, over 20 participants, including focal points from the NPHL, Provincial Public Health Laboratories, and representatives from WHO and key partners, participated in consultations to expand and strengthen culture sensitivity test service at district-level hospitals laboratories across all seven provinces. WHO will provide support for laboratory equipment, reagents and training to identified sites while continuing its ongoing assistance to the MoHP in strengthening antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance, enhancing laboratory systems and facilitating global reporting of AMR surveillance data through the WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS)– AMR platform. This activity was conducted in alignment with, and in support of, the implementation of the National Action Plan on AMR, endorsed in 2024. The workshop was supported by the Fleming Fund.