French Embassy in India & Biomérieux hold symposium on “Antimicrobial Stewardship: Improved diagnosis for better management”

New Delhi: The French Embassy in India, and Biomérieux India co-organized the one-day symposium titled “Antimicrobial Stewardship: Improved Diagnosis for Better Management.” The symposium took place yesterday June 20, 2023, at the Embassy of France to India in New Delhi.

Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to global health, food security, and development. In an effort to combat this pressing issue, the symposium aims to identify and promote best practices and advocacy for avoiding AMR. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that approximately 700,000 people die each year from bacterial infections in the world, highlighting the urgent need for attention to this “silent pandemic” from all sectors and countries.

Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens, Counsellor for Education, Science and Culture – French Embassy, ensured that “France and India are two leaders on global health, and the cooperation between them on Antimicrobial Resistance is very important. 20 % of the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA) endowment provides funding for scientific projects in the fields of life science and health”.

Arnaud Favry, Director of Public & Governmental Affairs and Patient value strategy of bioMérieux, said “Government and industry are two partners of choice to raise awareness and fight AMR, sharing resources and bringing information to the public”

The symposium convened a diverse range of participants, including representatives from the Government of India, key opinion leaders, experts and researchers from France and India, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies.

The event hosted approximately 80 attendees in the auditorium of the French embassy, followed by a networking cocktail at the Ambassador’s residence in the evening.

The symposium was structured into four sessions, each addressing different aspects of the topic:

1. Revisiting AMR issue through One Health Concept

2. Antimicrobial Stewardship: The Role of Diagnostics (Diagnostics Stewardship)

3. Antimicrobial Stewardship: Supporting Policy for the Use of Diagnostic Tools

4. “Fireside Chat”: The Importance of Diagnostics in Regulating the Misuse of Antimicrobials

By fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration among stakeholders, this symposium seeks to drive tangible advancements in the field of antimicrobial stewardship and improve the diagnosis of infectious diseases, ultimately leading to better management and control of AMR.

yesterday’s symposium also confirms that France and India have been jointly active in the area of life science and health. Bilateral projects in this particular field have been launched recently such as the Franco-Indian Campus for Health in the Indo-Pacific, a joint venture of Indo-French top universities that will deliver double degrees.

Besides health-related collaboration, this event is a testimony to the vitality of Franco-Indian scientific cooperation, notably enabled by the action of the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA).