About the Course

The AMR Learning Initiative is a crucial learning program developed by the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Academy for Healthcare and the British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) with the aim of addressing the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), reducing the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and improving the management of infectious diseases.

The Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Diploma Course of this initiative focuses on strengthening the knowledge and skills of the AMS professionals working in MSF-supported healthcare facilities.

The course is delivered essentially online with a provision of individual mentoring by expert professionals in AMS, including Infectious Disease Specialists. 

Target Audience

AMS Focal Points.

Enrolment

Enrolment is done through the AMR or ID advisor of each respective MSF operational center, in consultation with the project. If selected for the course, once you have enrolled in Tembo please send your name and registration email to amrlearningsupport@msf.org (Admissions to the 4th cohort of the course has been closed in March 2024 . Next cohort is planned to start in April 2025)

Certification

At the end of the course, it's required to undertake a final examination assessing knowledge but also to have submitted all the work-based assignments. The pass rate is set at 75% for the final knowledge test and all the assignments. 

Active participation all throughout the course and completion of all the necessary components described above is also considered for the delivery of the Diploma on Antimicrobial Stewardship by BSAC (British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy) and Médecins Sans Frontieres.

Once the course is completed successfully, according to the same pre-cited requisites, a Certificate of Training Completion and a TEMBO badge are delivered directly through the TEMBO platform. The badge is a recognition of the learning on Tembo. The Diploma being accredited by various parties, including the UK Royal College of Pathologists, is delivered some weeks after the completion of the training.

Training Approach

The course has a blended approach. It's delivered essentially online and additionally, participants are supported and guided individually in their learning by expert clinical mentors. Through a combination of individual mentoring, interactive virtual classes, case studies, and work-based assignments, participants learn how to develop and implement AMS policies and protocols, conduct assessments and audits, develop an AMS action plan, run surveillance of HAI, and manage outbreaks. The course also provides guidance on effective communication strategies and ways to engage healthcare teams and stakeholders.

Evaluation

Monitoring and Evaluation of the course are performed by the clinical mentors and include the review of the quizzes and assignments grades review, as well as the participation rate in learning activities. Learner feedback is also collected at mid and end of the course to identify eventual challenges and take lessons learned.  

List of Contents

• Module 1: Exploring the current antimicrobial resistance (AMR) & AMS situation in the healthcare facility
• Module 2: Clinical management of infectious syndromes, identifying micro-organisms and their resistance patterns
• Module 3: Measuring appropriate antimicrobial use
• Module 4: Implementing an Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Programme
• Module 5: Contributing to HAI surveillance & outbreak management