Antibiotic resistance in Indonesia

Research summary

Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a major health threat for humans. In Europe 25 000 patients die yearly from infections caused by antimicrobial resistant bacteria. There is increasing concern that the food production chain may play a significant role as a reservoir and disseminator of AR since over 65% of the antibiotic use takes place in animal production. An important part of the dissemination of antibiotics and the evolution of AR bacterial organisms depends on either intestines of animals receiving antibiotic treatment or water environments.

Description

The information on the antibiotic resistance in the environment is building up in the developed countries in America, Europe and even
Asia. However, the is huge lack of data on the status on antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in less developed countries such as Indonesia although in those countries the consequences of the loss of effective antibiotics will be the most devastating. Therefore, we will obtain quantitative data on the antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in Indonesia. Moreover, we will transfer the knowledge and methods to the Indonesian partners in order to enable the to take the responsibility of the issue in the future.

The detailed objectives are:
•produce data on the antibiotic concentrations in the relevant environments, i.re. samples taken from major rivers, wastes from hospitals, animal production facilities and aquaculture farms
•determine the amount of antibiotic resistance genes in the same environments
•assess the risk of the dissemination of the AR genes related to public health and water environment
•produce basis on the key actions for monitoring and controlling the antibiotic resistance in Indonesia
•train Indonesian scientists to monitor and combat the antibiotic resistance

After the project we will have comprehensive data and information on the human activity -associated antibiotic resistance genes in
Indonesia. We expect by combining previous antibiotic resistance database from other countries in Asia and this study will result a better understanding of the AR genes spread in countries with monsoonal wet and dry seasons. The results will serve the decision makers when they build and revise the regulations concerning the use of antibiotics especially in Indonesia. Moreover, Indonesian researchers trained in this project will be key players in the antibiotic resistance associated problem solving in the future.

Research info

Research title
Antibiotic resistance in Indonesia

Research timeline
1.9.2015 - 1.12.2018

Keywords
antibiotic antibiotic resistance antibiotic resistance gene

Region
Asia

Countries
Finland, Indonesia

Institution
University of Helsinki
Food and Environmental Sciences
Helsinki, Finland

Funding instrument
Academy of Finland

Project budget
200,000 - 500,000 euros

Head of research
Marko Virta

Research team
Marko Virta, Windi Muziasari, Vanny Narita, Anis Mahsunah.

Partners
Agency For The Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), Indonesia

Contact information
Windi Muziasari
windi.muziasari@helsinki.fi

Record last updated
12.6.2015