Addressing antibiotic overuse through continuous quality improvement : developing and assessing stewardship interventions in primary care in Kosova

ICARS’ Scientific Director, Dr. Robert Leo Skov, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kosovar Minister of Health, Arben Vitia; the Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Liburn Aliu; and the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Faton Peci.

This signing formalizes ICARS’ partnership with Kosovo on a future collaboration and reinforces Kosova’s commitment to collaborate in mitigating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as ICARS’ newest Mission Partner.

This MoU establishes a partnership between ICARS and the Government of Kosova to address AMR through a One Health approach. It provides a framework for developing context-specific, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions using Intervention and Implementation Research, aligned with Kosova National Action Plan (NAP) on AMR.

The agreement highlights the importance of country ownership, multi-sectoral collaboration, and capacity building, with a focus on projects addressing AMR across human, animal, and environmental health.

ICARS -International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions

The International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS), founded by the Danish government in 2018, operates as an independent international organization since 2021. ICARS envisions a world where drug-resistant infections no longer pose a threat to the health of humans and animals, the environment, global food security and economic prosperity.

Using the One Health framework, it addresses AMR across human, animal, and environmental health sectors, aligning efforts with National Action Plans (NAPs).

ICARS partners with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through cost-effective, evidence-based solutions and adapted to local context.

Project in Kosova

The ICARS project in Kosova, titled “Addressing antibiotic overuse through continuous quality improvement: developing and assessing stewardship interventions in primary care,” aims to tackle the overuse of antibiotics in primary healthcare settings

Implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Public Health of Kosova, the Medical Faculty at the University “Hasan Prishtina,” and the Evidence Synthesis Group, the project will run from February 2024 to January 2027. 

This initiative focuses on developing and evaluating antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions to improve antibiotic use, reduce misuse, and ensure sustainable healthcare practices in Kosova. 

The municipalities included in the first phase are: Prishtina, Gjakova, Kaçanik, Lipjan, Klina, and Vushtrri.  In the second phase, the program will scale up to include Prizren, Ferizaj, Viti, Istog, Fushë Kosovë, and Podujevë.

Project Aim

  • This project aims to optimize antibiotic use for acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) by implementing an Antimicrobial Stewardship program (AMS) in primary care settings of Kosova.

  • The targets are to achieve a 20% reduction in overall antibiotic use and a 30% reduction in ceftriaxone use for URTIs.

Objectives

  • Assess current antibiotic use for URTIs in primary care.

  • Design, implement, and evaluate a multimodal AMS program.

  • Identify enablers and barriers to AMS program scaling.

  • Estimate the economic impact of the program.

  • Develop strategies to scale the program across primary care facilities and municipalities.

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