Workshop held to finalize national guideline on Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme

Lalitpur, Bagmati province - On 16-17 March, the Quality Standards and Regulation Division, Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), with support from WHO Country Office for Nepal, held a two-day workshop to finalize the national guideline on the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (AMSP) for health-care facilities in Nepal. Attended by more than 50 clinicians and medical professionals, the workshop aimed to review the draft guidelines and reach a consensus on the final version. The discussions also enhanced participants’ understanding of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and its importance in addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The sessions also provided hospitals with an opportunity to share their institutional experiences in implementing AMS. The guideline will serve as a guide to all tiers of public and private health-care facilities in Nepal for institutionalizing AMSP, contributing to responsible and appropriate use of antimicrobials, improving patient care and slowing the spread of drug-resistant infections. The effort also advances the implementation of Nepal’s National Action Plan on AMR.