Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract NACNDC/19JASH040 (Poster) | Published: 06 Dec 2025
Masamba Robert Namisi1,2, Oiko Edmond Ambrose1, Gidudu Samuel2, Joseph Nkodyo3, Daniel Kadobera4, Alex Riolexus Ario2
1General Military Hospital–Bombo, UPDF Medical Services, Kampala, Uganda, 2Uganda National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda, 3National Health Laboratory and Diagnostics Services, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda, 4Division of Global Health Protection, Global Health Center, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kampala, Uganda
&Corresponding author: Masamba Robert Namisi, General Military Hospital–Bombo, UPDF Medical Services, Kampala, Uganda, Email: masabanamisi@uniph.go.ug
Received: 11 Sep 2025, Accepted: 20 Oct 2025, Published: 06 Dec 2025
Domain: Antimicrobial Resistance
Keywords: Antibiogram profiling system, WHONET software, Antimicrobial stewardship, CLSI M39 guidelines, General Military Hospital–Bombo, Uganda
©Masamba Robert Namisi et al., Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Masamba Robert Namisi et al., Establishment of an antibiogram profiling system to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship at General Military Hospital, Bombo, Uganda, 2025. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc6):040. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO6-00040
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing threat to effective clinical care and a public health concern. Unchecked antimicrobial resistance can lead to prolonged illness, higher treatment costs, and poor outcomes. An antibiogram profiling system provides a structured framework for generating, maintaining, and utilizing cumulative antimicrobial susceptibility data to guide rational antibiotic use. At GMH-Bombo, antibiogram was development followed guidelines of clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute Document (CLSI) M39 which guides that drugs above 40% (40 – 69%, moderate susceptibility, >70% high susceptibility can be used while those <40% are taken as low susceptibility and not recommended for use). The national referral facility for the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) is the General Military Hospital – Bombo (GMH), which has operated a microbiology laboratory since 2012 but lack an antibiogram. This hospital receives referrals from all lower UPDF facilities throughout Uganda including civilian facilities within the region. The project aimed to establish a sustainable antibiogram profiling system at GMH to support evidence-based prescription and AMR surveillance.
Microbiology data of 2024 were abstracted from GMH’s laboratory registers. The data included isolate names, isolate counts, and antibiotic sensitivity percentage. These were processed WHONET software to generate an antibiogram following CLSI M39 guidelines. Additionally laboratory staff were mentored on the profiling system.
The profiling system incorporated 331 isolates across 14 bacterial types whose susceptibility was analyzed against 33 antibiotics. Of these, only 45% (15/33) showed sensitivity rates above 40% providing actionable insights for clinical decision-making. Nine laboratory personnel were successfully mentored to manage and update the system annually, ensuring its sustainability and integration into routine laboratory operations.
The establishment of an antibiotic profiling system at General Military Hospital–Bombo marks a significant step toward strengthening antimicrobial stewardship. Ultimately, this system will improve patient outcomes, reduce resistance, and support national efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance.
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