Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when the organisms that cause infection evolve ways to survive treatments. The term antimicrobial includes antibiotic, antiprobiotic, antiviral and antifungal medications. Overuse of antimicrobial drugs and not using them correctly has led to an increase in resistant bugs, making infections harder or impossible to treat.
Antimicrobial resistance has been identified as one of the most pressing global challenges we face this century, and has been declared by the World Health Organization to be among the top 10 threats to public health globally.
HARP programme surveillance is tracking antimicrobial resistance trends here in Wales. The resistance rates recorded relate to the most common bugs found in the bloodstream or urine.
Test results on patient samples are reported by laboratories across Wales. The HARP team is able to access the results, download and analyse them to generate the reports. The HARP team is working with the Health Boards in Wales to inform them which antimicrobials are failing to treat specific infections in more and more cases.