AMR is one of the major global challenges in infectious disease control. In particular, a growing number of bacteria has become resistant to antibiotics as a result of their improper and excessive use. Surveillance is key to understand the threat of AMR and to target interventions. RIVM is proud to have attained Collaborating Centre status from the World Health Organization. As Collaborating Centre we will continue to support the WHO with the implementation of the upcoming Global Action Plan on AMR and the European Strategic Action Plan on AMR.
Surveillance key for AMR control
AMR surveillance is an integral component of the Global and European Action Plans on Antibiotic Resistance. AMR surveillance provides the necessary insight into the current AMR situation required for an effective and targeted approach to AMR. The Collaborating Centre contributes actively to the development of standards and best practices for national, regional and global surveillance of AMR. In particular, WHO CC AMR supports the establishment and strengthening of national AMR surveillance networks in WHO member states by providing technical advice and support on surveillance methodology.
International expertise
In 1999, the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EARSS) was implemented and coordinated by RIVM. EARSS addressed the need for AMR data to raise awareness of the AMR problem and for informed decision making among stakeholders and policymakers. In 2010 this surveillance network and its coordination was transferred to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), together with all the other disease specific surveillance networks, and continues now as EARS-Net. With this, a robust AMR surveillance network is operational in the European Union.
In 2012 WHO/Europe together with RIVM and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) launched CAESAR . The objective of CAESAR is to set up a network of national surveillance systems so that the trends in AMR can be assessed in all WHO/Europe member states. The methods used in CAESAR have been developed in close collaboration with EARS-Net at ECDC. This way, it will be possible to combine data from the two surveillance networks so that trends in AMR can be compared across all European countries.
WHO Collaborating Centres hosted by RIVM
RIVM hosts Collaborating Centres supporting various WHO programmes. WHO Collaborating Centre Antimicriobial Resistance Epidemiology and Surveillance is RIVM’s eighth WHO Collaborating Centre. More information
Focal Points
WHO CC AMR is coordinated by Tjalling Leenstra and Marianne van der Sande, RIVM Centre for Infectious Disease Control. More information on our WHO CC AMR website.