Epidemiology and health burdens of antimicrobial resistant bacterial infection in South-east Asia and the impact of antibiotic use on patient survival

Drug-resistant infection (DRI) is a global concern. It is estimated that it is accountable for 10 million deaths with a projected total of 100 trillion dollar GDP loss by 2050 if no action is taken. One of the keys to combatting this health crisis is to understand the situation and health burdens of DRI in developing countries where data is scarce.

I will study the epidemiology of DRI in detail and estimate the number of excess deaths due to DRI in South-east Asia. I will also evaluate the impact of appropriate and inappropriate antibiotic use in hospitals in South-east Asia. There is a lack of precise understanding on the consequences of antibiotic underuse, misuse and overuse in hospitals in developing countries. I will use advanced statistical models to systematically evaluate the impact of antibiotic use on patient survival in Thailand and Vietnam. I will then compare those findings with the UK where antibiotic use is better controlled.

My findings will assist the design of an intervention to improve antibiotic use and reduce DRI infection in developing countries.

This grant was awarded under the scheme's previous name of Training Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine.