PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre Spotlight Series
Reference Number: USA-281*
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC for International Monitoring of Bacterial Resistance to Antimicrobial Agents
Institution: National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases within the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Reference Number: USA-433*
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC for Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance
Institution: Division of Infectious Diseases within the Department of Medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Category 1 (SP 14-19)
Outcome 12 (SP 20-25)
Dr. Pilar Ramon Pardo, Advisor, Antimicrobial Resistance, is the PAHO staff member who acts as the Region’s focal point for these Centres and also supports the WHO focal point to coordinate the collaboration between the institution and the Organization.
The main activities of these Centres include: (1) organizing and disseminating information through software; (2) training software users; (3) providing technical advice; and (4) responding to outbreaks.
The Centre at the CDC has been important during outbreaks, including an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa that was detected through microbiological analysis. Currently, the Centre is supporting the development of the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute and collaborating with PAHO to include the participation of Latin American countries.
The Centre at Brigham & Women’s Hospital has produced the WHONET software, a platform that monitors AMR and allows timely reporting for Member States within the Region. The Centre also trains users and updates the software by adding new pathogens requiring resistance monitoring.
Dr. Ramon Pardo notes "the contributions by the Centre at Brigham & Women’s Hospital are invaluable.”
Webnotes such as these serve to inform on how CCs are contributing to the Organization’s priorities and mandates.
*CC expired.