Brazil has a serious problem that's not usually in the spotlight. The issue of antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, is causing huge problems in healthcare, not just for Brazil, but for the entire region of Latin America. The problem gets really acute when we tackled it on the local level. Brazil's vastness and decentralized system makes it a unique setting to learn from.

Brazil must find ways to understand the problem at a more individual level. To make things easier, they need to understand how patients are affected, how much the problem costs, and the social impact it has. Because unlike what some people might think, it is not just a medical problem but also affects the community and economy.

To solve the problem, they must break down the data into state levels, otherwise known as subnational governance. To do this the experts recommend the following.

Brazil must investigate how AMR manifests differently in various regions. Understanding these disparities could influence how the country addresses the problem. The problem is, Brazil doesn't have an accurate estimate of how big the problem is because no one is collecting that data. It's crucial that Brazil, and by extension, Latin America devise a solution because everyone is affected.

To know the real scope of AMR, one must include data from both public health facilities and private centres.  This, however, is incredibly difficult. Brazil's healthcare system is a mixed bag.  It includes private hospitals, public sector facilities, and a large number of health services that operate on a grassroots level. You know, the ones you wouldn't think are providing evidence-based medicine or even practicing safe infection control measures. Bot problematic in their own way.

Lastly, information about AMR is scattered. Who is affected, what they need, and where they are. But AMR does not discriminate. It impacts everyone from rural areas in SÃ£o Paulo to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.  They are the things that mainstream media overlooks. Behind every statistic, there is an individual story.

The experts resort to tools on the ground to tackle the issue.  But there is a big problem. The limited access to data and resources for AMR research and intervention in Brazil requires more than a government mandate. Research helplines must provide state level data and health institutes must incentivize its development. In short, community level data is required.

The problem with this is it can't just be solved by doctors trying to save lives. Research prioritization is key. To do this, Brazil needs to put its money where its mouth is and develop an accurate picture of the issue.  Who's getting infected, how, and what can be the solution to stop it.  Stakeholders must work together to tackle the issue. The solution will require more robust research policies to produce actionable data. Brazil needs to round up the best resources to deal with it.

They must move away from the one-size-fits-all approach and promote research that's tailored to Brazil.  This way, Brazil can develop a more resilient healthcare system against the AMR threat, ensuring protection for all.

Brazil has to fight AMR on its home turf. This is not going to be easy. But it can be done.

Unmasking AMR in Brazil: A Closer look

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