Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health challenge with serious implications to patient health outcomes and enormous added costs to national health systems. The development of antibiotic resistance is directly linked to the scale and manner of antibiotic consumption.
Recent data show that antibiotics are not only overly consumed in Greece but also that the rates of antibiotic resistance are consistently higher than other EU member states. Greece and Italy have the highest levels of morbidity and number of deaths associated with antibiotic-resistant infections. And while the judicious use of antibiotics is considered critical in halting the development of antibiotic resistance, Greece still ranks 1st in the consumption of antibiotics within primary healthcare settings, among other EU member states. Greece is also far ahead of Romania, which ranks 2nd.
Recognizing the scientific work of the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Outbreaks - CLEO and its contribution to the reduction and prevention of infections in Greece, the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association – AHEPA has announced its decision to support the work of CLEO.
AHEPA has donated the amount of $30,000 for the training of health professionals in primary health care centres and in specialized COVID-19 reference centers that were established in Greece from early April for the prompt diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. In addition, the donation will support novel research that CLEO is about to undertake aiming at assessing the knowledge, perceptions, and practices of health professionals regarding transmission, prevention and measures taken to address the pandemic in Greece.
The rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected over 3 million people and causing more than 200,000 deaths to date, has shed light on existing weaknesses and structural problems in healthcare systems worldwide, from poor compliance with infection control procedures to insufficient supplies of medical equipment.1,2
"The coordinated actions by the Greek health authorities but also the immediate adoption of basic measures of prevention that control the transmission of the new virus by the vast majority of citizens, show that we already have suitable defense mechanisms at hand. The ultimate goal and opportunity now is for prevention practices to become permanently integrated into our daily lives, even after the COVID-19 pandemic. This way we can stop losing lives every year from the flu and other infections that can otherwise be prevented " says Dr Theoklis Zaoutis, Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology and Scientific Director of CLEO.
The 37th Annual Meeting of ESPID (European Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases) held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on May 6-11, 2019, once again brought together the most important researchers in the field of pediatric infections, epidemiology and immunology, enabling trainees in the above fields to meet experts and colleagues from other countries and share their experiences. The ESPID’s programme was clinically oriented and promoted the best clinical practice for management of pediatric infections while it covered a wide range of educational seminars and interaction between trainees and faculty was strongly encouraged. The CLEO team, headed by Prof. Theoklis Zaoutis, attended this year's conference and participated with the following abstracts:
Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Outcomes Research (CLEO) was founded thanks to a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, which from 2011 until today continues to support its operation as a major donor.
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