The two-day meeting brought together physicians, microbiologists, and policymakers to address rising threat of drug-resistant infections.
bioMérieux and Henry Ford Health hosted a summit focused on addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through diagnostics-driven stewardship and policy initiatives. The two-day meeting, held Sept 30 to Oct 1 at the Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport, brought together infectious diseases physicians, pharmacists, microbiologists, public health officials, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.
The summit aimed to promote practical actions to combat AMR, which continues to escalate as a major health threat. In the US, antimicrobial-resistant infections are estimated to exceed 2.8 million annually, with 35,000 deaths per year, according to CDC data. When including C difficile infections, those numbers rise to more than 3 million infections and 48,000 deaths.
Direct treatment costs for common resistant pathogens exceed $4.6 billion per year, while post-pandemic healthcare-associated resistance remains above 2019 baselines. Global projections suggest antimicrobial resistance could surpass cancer as the leading cause of death worldwide by 2050 if no prompt measures are taken.
“As a global IVD leader in infectious diseases, our ambition is to demonstrate—through evidence-generation and education—that diagnostics are indispensable to bending the AMR curve and improving clinical outcomes. By joining forces with stakeholders across the healthcare continuum, public health leaders, and policymakers at events like the AMR Summit, we’re turning proof into practice and accelerating stewardship where it matters most,” says Jennifer Zinn, bioMérieux executive vice president of clinical operations, in a release.
Advancing Stewardship Practices
Henry Ford Health serves as one of bioMérieux’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence, working with stakeholders to advance stewardship practices, optimize antibiotic use, and improve patient outcomes.
“At Henry Ford Health, patient safety and well-being are at the heart of everything we do. As national leaders in antimicrobial and diagnostic stewardship and infection prevention, we’re honored to share a blueprint that helps health systems advance responsible, evidence-based practices to enhance patient outcomes today and into the future,” says Linoj Samuel, division head for clinical microbiology at Henry Ford Health, in a release.
The gathering featured cross-disciplinary discussions and networking designed to tackle the complex realities of AMR, with conversations intended to spark collaborations and concrete actions beyond the summit itself.
Global and national authorities have recognized AMR as requiring coordinated, multi-sectoral action to address its growing impact on healthcare systems and patient outcomes.
Photo caption: (Right) Jennifer Zinn, bioMérieux executive vice president of clinical operations
Photo credit: bioMérieux
