PCRWR, DAI, Fleming Fund, UK Aid, Mott MacDonald, and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine jointly organized a one-day workshop titled “Essential Resources for Environmental Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Detection” on October 2, 2024, at the Marriot Hotel, Islamabad. The workshop aimed to strengthen AMR surveillance and enhance laboratory capacity for environmental AMR detection. The event opened with remarks from Dr. Qadeer Ahsan, Team Lead of DAI-Fleming Fund, who underscored the urgent need for collaborative efforts to tackle environmental AMR. This was followed by a keynote address from Dr. Hifza Rasheed, Director General (WQ) of PCRWR, highlighting the pivotal role of robust AMR detection systems in safeguarding public health and the environment. She also shared a brief overview of related work undertaken by the PCRWR.
Key challenges identified during the open discussion included improving sample collection processes, ensuring the availability of critical reagents, maintaining essential equipment, and addressing gaps in biosafety, reference strains, and skilled human resources. Participants also stressed the importance of data standardization and long-term sustainability for effective AMR surveillance.
Group work sessions allowed participants to develop resource lists, design a pilot study, and explore the creation of an AMR data portal. PCRWR’s active representation in the open discussion and group presentations was made by Dr. Ghulam Murtaza, Ms. Saiqa Imran, Mr. Akram Aziz, and professionals from PCRWR Head Office and regional/district centers including DRIP Tandojam, Karachi, Hyderabad, Badin, Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Gujranwala. The workshop concluded with group presentations and closing remarks by Dr. Hifza Rasheed, who reiterated the crucial role of environmental research and regulatory organizations in Pakistan in sustaining AMR surveillance efforts to protect public health.