Hospital antibiotic resistance in Vietnam and the cost-effectiveness of antibiotic stewardship programmes     

Uncontrolled use of antibiotic drugs to treat or prevent bacterial infections causes bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics, particularly in countries with limited resources. Actions are required to reduce and restrict unnecessary antibiotic use. 

I will assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of interventions that aim to improve antibiotic use in hospitals. I will collect data on antibiotic use, mortality rates, bacteria that are resistant to important antibiotics, and costs of these interventions in three hospitals in Vietnam. I will also use the existing data from the national resistance surveillance programme to understand the patterns of antibiotic use and resistance and how these data can be used to plan interventions in hospitals. 

My findings can help with decisions on policies that address antibiotic resistance in resource-limited countries.