Published on January 11, 2021 – In a consortium with various academic and practical partners, Gert-Jan de Bruijn has received a grant from the National Science Agenda (Nationale Wetenschapsagenda) within the funding round for Research on Routes by Consortia (NWA-ORC). The NWO grant amounts to 9.7 million EUR and will focus on technological solutions and social awareness of antimicrobial resistance.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – in which bacteria are increasingly resistant to antibiotics – is an explosively growing problem worldwide. AMR increases the risk of life-threatening infections after surgery, resulting in poorer treatment outcomes and, in part, an increase in healthcare costs. Cautious estimates indicate that by 2050, worldwide 10 million people per year will die from the consequences of AMR.
The work package that Gert-Jan leads will focus on the social awareness of AMR. To this end, in collaboration with Maastricht University, RIVM, and VWS, extensive historical data is analyzed to find out how previous health problems – such as overweight and skin cancer – have become known to the public and healthcare professionals. In combination with extensive discussions with stakeholders, a campaign is developed and evaluated so that the technological solutions optimally reach the intended target groups and the seriousness of AMR is recognized.
The project duration is six years and will employ – amongst other – 22 PhD candidates and several post-doc positions.
More info on the project: https://nwa-dartbac.nl
More info on NWA-ORC: click here