Data Challenge: UGMC Antibiogram

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing threat to effective healthcare delivery globally, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where surveillance data remain fragmented and local antibiograms are often limited. Large-scale surveillance platforms such as the Vivli AMR Register provide valuable regional resistance data, yet their applicability to local clinical decision-making has not been adequately validated. This study seeks to determine whether resistance patterns reported in the Vivli AMR Register accurately reflect the resistance profiles of priority ESKAPE pathogens encountered at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), and to assess the implications of any discrepancies for empirical antibiotic prescribing and antimicrobial stewardship. The study will conduct a systematic descriptive analysis of AMR trends for ESKAPE pathogens across Sub-Saharan African countries represented in the Vivli AMR Register. Resistance patterns will be examined by infection type, specimen source, age group, and sex to characterize regional trends and identify variations across populations. Vivli-derived resistance profiles will then be compared with UGMC institutional antibiogram data for corresponding pathogens and antibiotic classes using correlation and Bland–Altman agreement analyses to assess concordance between regional surveillance estimates and local resistance patterns. To contextualize observed differences, data from the Global AMR R&D Hub, including antibiotic consumption indicators and health system capacity measures, will be integrated to identify structural and contextual factors driving divergence between regional surveillance findings and local findings. Findings will be synthesized into a validated, context-specific antibiogram for UGMC. By aligning empirical antibiotic selection with local resistance patterns, the framework will support more effective treatment decisions and improve patient outcomes. The study will strengthen antimicrobial stewardship through evidence-based prescribing, inform public health practice by generating actionable evidence on the use of regional AMR surveillance data, and strengthen health systems through improved integration of surveillance, laboratory, and antibiotic consumption data into policy and clinical decision-making. The framework will also provide a transferable model for comparable healthcare settings across Sub-Saharan Africa, supporting implementation of Ghana's National Action Plan on AMR.