Zambia AMRCC-Students Data Challenge

Expressions of Interest – 2025 Vivli AMR Surveillance Data Challenge

Proposed Study Title: Trends and Emerging Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacterial Isolates: A Retrospective Surveillance-Based Analysis.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains one of the most critical global public health challenges, with increasing resistance undermining effective treatment options for common infections. This study aims to utilize the Vivli 2025 AMR Surveillance dataset to identify trends in antimicrobial resistance among key bacterial pathogens and to characterize the emergence of novel resistance mechanisms across diverse geographic regions and clinical settings.
By conducting a retrospective analysis of longitudinal surveillance data, we seek to:
1. Quantify changes in resistance rates to key antimicrobial agents over time.
2. Identify and map the emergence of rare or novel resistance phenotypes and genotypes.
3. Explore associations between clinical and geographic variables and resistance patterns.
This work will employ statistical trend analysis, clustering techniques, and resistance mechanism annotation using publicly available genomic and phenotypic resistance databases. Insights from this study will help detect early warning signs of resistance escalation, improve antibiotic stewardship strategies, and inform policy at both local and global levels.
We view the Vivli 2025 AMR Data Challenge as a valuable opportunity to apply our combined skills in a dynamic, real-world setting. As a multi-disciplinary team working across clinical, laboratory, research, and field settings, with a shared commitment to addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), we are eager to contribute to global efforts aimed at understanding and mitigating this critical public health issue.
We are enthusiastic about collaborating with global researchers and leveraging open-access data to generate meaningful findings. Thank you for considering our application. We look forward to the opportunity to contribute to this vital initiative.

Sincerely,
AMRCC - Students
Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI)