New Delhi, October 19, 2022: Pfizer India and Americares India Foundation today announced a partnership with the Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI) to make TNAI a knowledge, outreach, and certification partner for the OPEN-AMR (Online Platform for Education among Nurses on AMR) program. This program is a web-based learning platform to educate nurses on anti-microbial resistance (AMR), which is one of the world’s top 10 global public health threats, according to the World Health Organization.[ii] OPEN-AMR was launched in June 2022 in partnership with along with Americares India Foundation, a health-focused relief, and development organization.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microbes, such as bacteria and viruses, begin to resist the effects of the drugs used against them and become increasingly difficult to treat. AMR poses a significant public health threat. At least 700,000 lives per year worldwide are lost to unsuccessfully treated bacterial infections, and this number is projected to increase to 10 million per year by 2050. Improper or irrational use of antibiotics is one of the leading causes of AMR, and healthcare professionals can play a significant role in addressing it. The OPEN-AMR courses focus on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices along with Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices (AMSP), which can equip nurses with the knowledge and expertise to help combat AMR.

Speaking on the importance of this partnership, Sharad Goswami, Senior Director, Emerging Markets Policy & Public Affairs, Pfizer India, said, “The OPEN-AMR platform trains, empowers and certifies nurses to take forward good practices on infection prevention and control, playing a vital role in curbing the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The program is available free of cost and in multiple languages and has already seen close to 2000 nurses certified in best practices. Through our partnership with TNAI, the largest national organization of nurses, our OPEN-AMR platform aims to reach every nurse in the country and help cascade antimicrobial best practices to hospitals nationwide.”

Commenting on the partnership, Dr. Roy K George, National President from TNAI said, ‘’We are pleased to partner with Pfizer and Americares to make the OPEN-AMR platform available to all our members. This platform will be pivotal in educating nurses on the gravity of AMR, and the crucial role that nurses need to play in the management of this global public health issue. One of the most important functions of our organization is to provide continuous learning and professional development opportunities for member nurses. The OPEN-AMR platform is one such skill development opportunity, and as a joint certification partner, TNAI shall award credit hours to participants for each completed course.”

Shripad Desai, Senior Director-Asia and Eurasia Programs, Americares India Foundation, added, “The partnership with TNAI will help us expand the reach of the OPEN-AMR platform, and the TNAI secretariat will be a joint certification partner for each course. Moreover, TNAI will act as a knowledge partner of Americares towards primary and secondary research efforts, outreach, knowledge, and capacity building among healthcare workers in the area of infectious diseases, as well as other relevant health topics. We are confident that TNAI’s expertise can make the courses on this platform more enriching and engaging for nurses.”

Since its launch, the OPEN-AMR program has facilitated easy access to a plethora of courses on Antimicrobial Resistance across hospitals free of cost, in a variety of regional languages including English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Marathi. Across the country, close to 2,000 nurses have been enrolled on the OPEN-AMR platform, and the current partnership with TNAI will expand the scope of this program to reach a wider audience.