Background
WHO developed the AWaRe system as a suite of normative guidance, technical documents and tools to support Member States in the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship policies and interventions, including planning (e.g., defining targets), informing, monitoring and evaluating impact.
WHO introduced the AWaRe classification of antibiotics in 2017 in the context of the update of the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. AWaRe classifies antibiotics into three groups, Access, Watch and Reserve, taking into account the impact of different antibiotics and antibiotic classes on antimicrobial resistance, to emphasise the importance of their appropriate use.
To support Member States in optimising antibiotic use, WHO published the AWaRe antibiotic book in 2022. The AWaRe antibiotic book provides concise, evidence-based guidance on the choice of antibiotic, dose, route of administration and duration of treatment for more than 30 of the most common clinical infections in children and adults in both primary health care and hospital settings. The information included in the book supports the recommendations for antibiotics listed on the Model Lists of Essential Medicines and Essential Medicines Children and the AWaRe classification of antibiotics.
WHO has also proposed an AWaRe based target by which at least 60% of total antibiotic use on a national level should be Access group antibiotics (GPW13 target 4b), endorsed by 47 Member States in the Muscat Manifesto in November 2022. However, countries need further indicators and targets to plan and evaluate interventions.
The AWaRe classification and book need to be regularly updated to remain up-to-date, evidence-based, aligned with other WHO guidance and relevant for Member States. WHO therefore proposes the Technical Advisory Group on AWaRe to provide technical assistance to WHO to promote appropriate use of antimicrobials in countries by guiding the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of additional and updated AWaRe-related guidance.
The Technical Advisory Group on AWaRe will act as an advisory body to WHO in this field.
Functions of the Technical Advisory Group on AWaRe
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the Technical Advisory Group on AWaRe shall have the following functions:
- To provide independent evaluation of the scientific technical and strategic aspects of the clinical and public health impact of antimicrobial use on resistance and subsequent considerations for access to and stewardship of antimicrobials;
- To provide technical input into WHO guidance documents for antimicrobial stewardship, including the WHO antimicrobial stewardship practical toolkit;
- To review updates of existing AWaRe guidance and newly developed guidance to ensure they are scientifically sound and feasible;
- To advise WHO on the (re-)classification of antibiotics and other antimicrobials in the Access, Watch, Reserve and Not Recommended categories of the AWaRe classification;
- To advise on implementation strategies and other priority guidance documents for AWaRe; and
- To advise WHO on the development, implementation and evaluation of further AWaRe based indicators and targets.
Operations of the Technical Advisory Group on AWaRe
Members of the Technical Advisory Group on AWaRe serve in an independent and personal capacity and represent a broad range of disciplines, expertise, and experience encompassing many aspects of antimicrobial use and stewardship. Members, including the Chairperson, will be appointed for an initial term of up to 2 years and are eligible for reappointment.
Members of the Technical Advisory Group on AWaRe are expected to meet at least once each year virtually or in-person at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, or in another location as determined by WHO, usually for 2-3 days each time. Interim teleconferences may be required of members. The working language of the group will be English.
Prior to being appointed as members of the Technical Advisory Group on AWaRe and prior to renewal of term, nominees are subject to conflict of interest assessment by WHO based on information they have disclosed on the WHO Declaration of Interest (DOI) form. In addition, members have an ongoing obligation throughout their tenure to inform WHO of any changes to the information they have disclosed on the DOI form. Summaries of relevant disclosed interests that may be perceived to give rise to real or apparent conflicts of interest are noted in reports and are made public as appropriate.
Who can express interest?
The Technical Advisory Group on AWaRe will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to antimicrobial use and stewardship. Approximately 20 members may be selected.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from relevant technical experts (healthcare professionals, scientists, and healthcare regulators) involved in optimising the use of antimicrobials, with expertise in the following areas:
- Access to medicines, particularly antimicrobials
- Antimicrobial stewardship
- Antimicrobial use surveillance
- Clinical microbiology
- Clinical pharmacy
- Clinical pharmacology
- Healthcare epidemiology
- Implementation science
- Infectious diseases
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Policymaking relating to antimicrobial use and stewardship
- Public health impact of antimicrobial use
- Social and behavioural sciences
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the Technical Advisory Group on AWaRe, please submit the following documents by 11:59 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST) on 30 September 2024 to aware@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Technical Advisory Group on AWaRe”:
- A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer;
- Your curriculum vitae (including your nationality/ies) and
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of WHO advisory groups (AGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of a AG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All AG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant AG.
The selection of members of the AGs will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations .The selection of AG members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of a AG will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.
WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO's action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the AG, disband an existing AG or modify the work of the AG.
WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet.
AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “call for experts”, please write to aware@who.int well before the applicable deadline.