MIT Trinity Challenge Winner!
Congratulations to the One Health Antimicrobial Stewardship for Informal Health Systems Solutions team for winning the joint second prize in The MIT Trinity Solve Challenge for Antimicrobial Resistance! OASIS transforms rural healthcare by enabling informal rural healthcare providers for humans (RHPs) and animals (para-vets) to monitor personal antimicrobial provision data for infections treated via the Antibiotic Bandhu (friend of antibiotics) app. By integrating this with regional AMR data, the app will empower providers to adopt responsible antimicrobial practices. AMR is a critical global health challene, threatening millions of lives annually if not properly addressed. This recognition underscores the importance of team’s work in advancing public health and securing a healthier future for all. We look forward to seeing the continued success and positive outcomes of OASIS as it contributes to a more resilient and sustainable global health landscape.
https://solve.mit.edu/challenges/trinity-challenge-amr/solutions/82389
The winners of the joint second prize, each receiving £600,000, are OASIS: One Health Antimicrobial Stewardship for Informal Health Systems, along with AMR Sense:
Empowering Communities with a Proactive One Health Ecosystem. Both projects are based in India and aim to empower community health workers and informal caregivers with new technologies to gather data on AMR at the community level. The OASIS solution will be developed and implemented over three years, with the community medicine team of AIIMS Kalyani in their rural field sites in West Bengal, in collaboration with local district and state health and animal husbandry departments. Starting in Oct/Nov 2024 in one district in West Bengal, the project will potentially be scaled up to other districts and states, including Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, and Rajasthan, in collaboration with other governmental and non-governmental partners.
OASIS team lead Dr Meenakshi Gautham (LSHTM), said, “Our solution is all about addressing the structural and behavioural drivers of AMR by working with healthcare providers, who are the first line of defence in infectious disease management in community settings, but have been historically and unfairly de-formalised. Data-based solutions can be a powerful tool for AMR stewardship and governance through better integration of informal and formal providers and their co-produced practices in community settings.”
OASIS co-lead, Dr Priya Balasubramaniam (PHFI), said, “The OASIS project exemplifies how multisectoral partnerships can drive evidence-based action for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) stewardship. At the heart of our approach is the One Health concept, which acknowledges the interconnected health of humans, animals, and the environment. Our strategy links research evidence and technology-based intervention with community-based rural human and animal health providers, integrating broader environmental considerations and fostering local engagement to enhance health practices to address the use and impact of antimicrobials across various domains.”
