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The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) has announced a co-funded gift of S$2 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Temasek Foundation to support a programme to enhance the diagnostics for severe bacterial infections and combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a deadly health issue in Asia.
The programme, DETECT-Asia (Strengthening Diagnostics for sEvere bacTErial infeCTions in Asia), is a regional initiative which will enhance microbiology testing for severe bacterial infections across Asia, contributing to the global fight against AMR.
AMR remains a major health challenge, responsible for an estimated 4.7 million deaths globally in 2021, with Asia bearing a particularly high burden, driven by challenges such as limited diagnostic infrastructure, gaps in systematic surveillance, and uneven access to quality healthcare.
Estimates by the World Economic Forum also indicate that strengthening solutions across the Asia-Pacific region could generate annual healthcare savings of 10–15 billion while reducing socio-economic loss by $35–40 billion.
Led by the ADVANCE-ID (ADVANcing Clinical Evidence in Infectious Diseases) team—a clinical research network based at NUS involving over 100 hospitals in Asia, the programme aims to enhance the speed and accuracy of diagnostics for severe bacterial infections, including those associated with high mortality and AMR, such as bloodstream infections and hospital-acquired pneumonia; and strengthen diagnostic infrastructure in hospitals across Asia, helping to improve clinical decision-making and treatment outcomes.
