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Dhaka, September 7, 2025 — Bangladesh has taken a significant step toward strengthening its national response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance by finalizing the AMR Surveillance Monitoring and Evaluation (AMRSurME) Framework (Human Health) 2025–2030. The final Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting, held at the Padma Conference Room, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), brought together national stakeholders, technical experts, WHO and development partners to agree on the updated content, indicators, and structure of the framework.

Strengthening Human Health AMR Surveillance

The meeting emphasized that the framework would focus exclusively on AMR surveillance in human health, and its title was updated accordingly. Participants agreed to replace the term strategic plan with goal, objectives, and activities to align with national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) terminology.

Key discussions highlighted the need to:

• Differentiate surveillance indicators into case-based, laboratory-based, and outbreak preparedness indicators, ensuring they are practical for DGHS teams to report on.
• Decentralize surveillance sites beyond medical colleges to include district hospitals and private facilities, expanding geographic representation.
• Digitally integrate CAMS into the national MIS/DHIS2 platform to ensure sustainability and alignment with WHONET, reducing duplication.

Practical, Action-Oriented Indicators

Participants recommended a simplified reporting approach, focusing on performance measurement rather than complex analytics. Outbreak preparedness indicators will be aligned with Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) surveillance, while sentinel-site AMR awareness events will be tracked separately.

Next Steps Toward National Endorsement

The CAPTURA team committed to incorporating all technical and programmatic feedback into the framework within two working days. The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) then circulated the revised draft to CDC, DGHS for final validation before presenting it to the National Technical Committee (NTC) for formal endorsement.

This endorsement will mark a major milestone in establishing a robust, country-owned M&E framework for AMR surveillance. Post-endorsement, baseline (2025), mid-term (2027–28), and final (2029–30) evaluations will track progress, with biannual data review workshops recommended to keep stakeholders engaged and informed.

Prof. Dr. Md. Halimur Rashid, Line Director of CDC, DGHS, commended the collaborative spirit of the meeting and acknowledged the technical and facilitation support provided by the IVI team in guiding the process. Stakeholders from DGHS, IEDCR, sentinel sites, WHO, Fleming Fund Country Grant, and CAPTURA consortium actively contributed to shaping the final framework. With the finalization of the AMRSurME Framework, Bangladesh reaffirms its commitment to tackling AMR through a structured, data-driven approach that supports national priorities and global health security efforts.