Sahlgrenska Global Health Hackathon - Sweden > Challenge 4 - Infection prevention and control

Challenge 4 - Infection prevention and control: tackling AMR and healthcare-associated infections 

How can we combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and reduce healthcare-associated infections, two critical global health threats responsible for widespread illness and death? Could we harness personalized medicine and AI?

Live session recording

Video timeline

• 00:00 - Welcome - Michele Erba - Pristine Agency
• 00:43 - Introduction - Jamie Smith - Sahlgrenska Science Park
• 03:41 - Challenge 4 - Infection prevention & control - Emma Wright - Chief Medical Officer @ Mölnlycke Health Care
• 17:07 - Wrap up

Challenge problem statement 

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a rapidly growing public health crisis, leading to 700,000  deaths annually—a number projected to rise to 10 million by 2050 if left unchecked. Alarmingly,  fewer than 40% of countries have implemented effective infection prevention and control programs to tackle AMR. Additionally, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a leading cause of illness and death globally, with 1 in 10 patients contracting an infection during medical care—often worsened by a lack of effective antibiotics. 

The convergence of personalized medicine and artificial intelligence (AI) offers an opportunity to rethink and enhance strategies for combating these global threats. personalized medicine can personalize infection control protocols, while AI-driven tools can identify infection patterns,  predict outbreaks, and optimize antibiotic usage. These technologies are key to protecting healthcare systems, improving patient safety, and achieving global health sustainability. 

Challenge expected outcome 

Your challenge is to develop innovative, actionable strategies for combating AMR and reducing healthcare-associated infections. Explore how personalized medicine and AI can enhance personalized infection diagnosis, optimize antibiotic use, predict outbreaks, and tailor prevention protocols to specific populations and healthcare settings, ultimately improving patient safety and reducing costs. 

Tools made available to participants 

We’ve provided data, articles, and resources to kickstart your ideas, but we encourage you to explore beyond these materials for deeper research. 

Datasets: 

• Antimicrobial resistance surveillance data (e.g., European AMR data from 2020)
• Global AMR and use surveillance system (GLASS) reports
• Infection prevention and control data from healthcare institutions

Tools: 

• AI/ML frameworks for analyzing resistance patterns
• Predictive analytics tools for identifying high-risk areas for HAIs
• Cloud-based platforms for real-time monitoring of infection rates

• Resources: 

• WHO and CDC infection prevention guidelines
• Technical guides on best practices for infection control
• Policy reports on AMR action plans

We’ve provided links to data, articles, and resources to kickstart your ideas, but we encourage you to explore beyond these materials for deeper research. 

Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS)

https://www.who.int/initiatives/glass 

Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Europe 2023 - 2021 data 

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/antimicrobial-resistance-surveillance-europe-2023-2021-data  

World Health Organization - Infection prevention and control 

https://www.who.int/europe/health-topics/infection-prevention-and-control 

CDC - Healthcare-associated infections 

https://www.cdc.gov/healthcare-associated-infections/php/data/index.html

CDC's Core Infection Prevention and Control Practices for Safe Healthcare Delivery  in All Settings 

https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/core-practices/index.html

WHO - Infection prevention and control 

https://www.who.int/teams/integrated-health-services/infection-prevention control 

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control - Infection prevention and  control in healthcare 

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/directory-guidance prevention-and-control/core-requirements-healthcare-settings 

Vården i siffror (in Swedish) 

https://vardenisiffror.se/ 

Registercentrums register (in Swedish) 

https://registercentrum.se/laenkar-till-register/kvalitetsregister-anslutna-till registercentrum-vaestra-goetaland/p/rySpM3rIf 

Examples of potential ideas 

• AI-driven platforms that predict AMR hotspots based on local healthcare and environmental data.
• A global, cloud-based infection monitoring system that allows healthcare institutions to share real-time data on HAIs and AMR patterns.
• Digital health platforms for healthcare providers, offering instant access to infection  control guidelines and personalized recommendations for high-risk patients
• Policy frameworks for implementing national AMR action plans that incorporate both healthcare facility protocols and public health measures.
• • Tools that enable hospitals to track and mitigate healthcare-associated infections through predictive analytics and data-sharing networks.