Successfully organized online course in antimicrobial stewardship in Macedonia
On 30 June 2015 the Medical Faculty Dean’s Building in Skopje hosted an open dialogue regarding the online course titled Antimicrobial Stewardship: Optimization of Antibiotic Practices that the Medical Faculty – Skopje and CRIS Studiorum organized for the first time in Macedonia in collaboration with the Stanford University, USA, the Ministry of Health, WHO Country Office and WHO Regional Office for Europe.
Developed by the Stanford University and available in English on the e-learning platform Coursera, the four-week long course was implemented to strengthen human capacities to reduce both irrational antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance at a national level, which generally show upward trend and further burden the functioning of the health system.
The meeting was officially opened by the dean of the Medical Faculty in Skopje, Prof. Dr Nikola Jankulovski. The Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Jovica Andovski, also addressed the attendees, pointing out the importance of intersectoral collaboration particularly in the field of the antibiotic use. Dr. Danilo Lo Fo Wong, Program Manager for AMR, WHO Regional Office for Europe, presented the efforts made by WHO Europe to fight AMR and while recognizing the progress made at a national level, underlined the necessity of further and continuous education targeting both health professionals and the general population.
A certificate award ceremony was also held. Successfully finished by 55 practitioners and health professionals from private and public health institutions in the country, the course is an institutional impetus and significantly contributes to the improvement of human capacities for health regarding effective prevention and control of infections in hospital settings and rational use of antibiotics.
