Identifying the most effective and cost-effective strategies to prevent antimicrobial resistance in low and middle-income countries

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a major threat for human and animal health as well as the environment. Low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are more vulnerable to the threat of AMR than high income countries due to the persistent high burden of infectious diseases resulting from poor nutrition, hygiene and limited vector control, but also due to limited ability to cope with emerging threats within weak health systems. Programs to tackle antibiotic resistance are thus both most urgently needed and likely also most impactful in low income settings. One of the five objectives of the global action plan on AMR is to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescription through infection prevention and control activities. Myanmar is one of the very first LMICs to tackle this problem. However, very little evidence and guidance is available today with respect to the most effective programs in low income settings, and it is unclear how well the national program will
work. This thesis project will aim at creating the evidence base needed for effective AMR prevention policies in low and middle-income settings. It is designed to identify the most cost-effective programs in these settings, minimizing AMR risk with available resources. AMR affects all health systems globally, so that improvements in LMIC settings will benefit local as well as global health.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic, cost-effective, health system, low and middle-income countries

Short Biography

Kyaw Zay Ya is a medical doctor who holds a Master’s degree in Health Economics, Policy and Management from Karolinska Institute, Sweden, and a diploma in Development Studies from the Yangon University of Economics, Myanmar. He has tons of experiences with training, budget management, qualitative research and consultancy works in conflict affected areas through working with various projects and programs under local NGOs and INGOs, rendering services, and training and involved in research - in wide arrays of areas including SRH services, STD/I management, Elderly Health Care, Social works, Disaster Reliefs, Primary Medical Care, Drug Resistance, TB Control activities, Malaria Control and Research. He is currently working at the University of Basel and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute as a PhD fellow on the Antimicrobial Resistance Project in low and middle income countries under the direct supervision of Prof Dr Guenther Fink.

Kyaw Zay Ya
Swiss TPH
University of Basel

Personal Website
kyaw.zayya@swisstph.ch

Supervisor: Günther Fink