The first ONLINE workshop in the AMR Frontline series, a Superheroes against Superbugs initiative funded by The Rockefeller Foundation as part of the Alliance for Pathogen Surveillance Innovations (APSI) in India, was conducted in collaboration with the Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR).

Researchers from all four clusters of Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi and Bangalore presented details of studies conducted during Phase II of the project. Discussions were focused on the importance of wastewater surveillance to detect pathogens of public health concern in India.

The third AMR Frontline Workshop, organized by Superheroes against Superbugs in collaboration with Ashoka University, was held at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida. Under the mandate of the Alliance for Pathogen Surveillance Innovations (APSI)-India supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, the event on December 13, 2023, focused on educating budding medical professionals about Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

As part of the APSI project, SaS in collaboration with Ashoka University organised two medical workshops in Delhi with an aim to empower the next generation of healthcare professionals with essential knowledge and strategies to effectively combat AMR.

This dashboard represents the results of wastewater surveillance in a user-friendly format, providing information on viral loads of four pathogens – COVID-19, H1N1, H3N2 and Influeza-A, found in wastewater. These samples were collected from various locations across the Pune Metropolitan Region, including the Pune Municipal Corporation Region and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Region, from Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) and open nallas and drains. The mapping of WWS results provides a pictorial and graphical representation of the viral load, making it simple for various stakeholders to interpret the data.

PKC, in collaboration with the District Malaria Office, Pune, is organizing the SAKSHAM series of workshops to empower the field workers who are responsible for the surveillance of vector-borne diseases with special emphasis on dengue and chikungunya. These workshops are being held at the taluka level to reach the Health Workers of all the 13 talukas of Pune district.

APSI’s Program Lead shared insights and learnings from setting up a wastewater surveillance network in India. The talk titled ‘APSI: a pan-India consortium for monitoring pathogens via wastewater surveillance‘ is available via the meeting recording (Video 1, Minutes 37:00 - 48:00) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn8zcFXPf40&t=3s

-Focus on strengthening existing Dengue surveillance. -Tracking and reduction of disease burden. -Data on Dengue is fragmented. We will need to work with multiple groups to generate datasets. -Sampling strategy and Genomic and environmental surveillance of COVID-19, data analysis and experience of Pune through the pandemic were presented and discussed. -Dr Samuel V. Scarpino, Former Vice President of Pathogen Surveillance, presented his views on the importance of active surveillance as a continuous activity to check on the resurgence of diseases and track newer mutations, if any. -The meeting concluded with a further disease of interest, dengue.

-The meeting was hosted by PKC to understand how we can leverage the pune consortium and partners’ expertise to other infectious diseases. -Importance of data in epidemiology. -Use of serology and genomic data will support the development of diagnostic tools. -The focus diseases as per the stakeholder should be Dengue/Chikungunya, Influenza, and SARS-CoV2.

Superheroes Against Superbugs hosted "Magnetize Your Creativity 2.0" at T-hub, Hyderabad, engaging 30+ innovators in AMR awareness through a comic-inspired mural. Attendees created fridge magnets, translating understanding into art, while German crew Prosieben eyed the AMR mural for an AMR documentary.

-The meeting was to discuss requirements for the APSI website and the current study progress for Dengue. -The ongoing SARS-CoV2 genomic and environmental surveillance was also discussed during the meeting.

It was an immersive event that fused the realms of scientific research and creative writing. Participants delved into enlightening conversations with AMR researchers, explored the intricate workings of labs, and used their words to convey their newfound insights on this pressing global health issue.

SaS with LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad conducted a workshop for 85 medical students on AMR awareness, and how clinicians and hospitals can contribute. The workshop included informative sessions on AMR surveillance, case study discussions with clinician experts, visits to microbiology labs, and role-play and games.

The moving mural on AMR created by SaS and St.Anns students was placed at different locations in Hyderabad and served as a backdrop for activities highlighting our collective responsibility in battling AMR. Enthusiastic participants channeled their creativity into crafting miniature art pieces as a take home message on AMR.

-Dr Sindhura G, PSA fellow, presented his views on the One Health Mission. -The stakeholders informed about their expertise and views on how they can collaborate and contribute to the One Health mission and activity.

Over a dynamic two-day event, SaS collaborated with students of St. Ann's College students and a local artist to create a compelling mural, igniting conversations on AMR. Activities included an interaction with Dr. S. Shivaji (an eminent researcher on eye infections and AMR at the LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad), a quiz competition, and a skit on antibiotic resistance. This immersive approach offered a holistic view on AMR, leveraging the power of art, interaction, and education.

Contributor: Farah Ishtiaq

The first Rockefeller Foundation (RF)-India Consortium Meet was held at CSIR-CCMB, Hyderabad. where scientists from all four clusters of Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi and Bangalore presented data of research and outreach activities.

-This meeting aimed to visit the partner institutes involved in the dengue surveillance studies. Visit to Dr Dravid’s clinic, BJMC hospital, and IRSHA labs was arranged to understand disease management and need of surveillance. -Meeting with the state, i.e. IDSP, and Central agency, i.e. ICMR-NIV, to understand their role in the surveillance mechanism and their views in building an early warning system for the disease.

-The meeting was held to discuss the current dengue scenario and availability of robust and complete datasets -The group discussed how we can further collaborate to build a robust surveillance system for Dengue, which can be further utilized for other infectious diseases. -Development of low-cost molecular diagnostics for dengue to ensure early detection of disease