LIMCRE brings One Health vision to the international health-policy debate at CTeI Global 2025
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Dr. Natalia Restrepo Arbeláez, member of the LIMCRE project, participated in CTeI Global 2025, a meeting that brought together the scientific community, the government, and international organizations to discuss how research can drive more effective and sustainable public policies.
The event took place in Medellín, the city that for the first time hosted the Third National Meeting on the Internationalization of Science, Technology, and Innovation, thanks to the collaboration between Universidad El Bosque and the Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN).
During the event, Dr. Restrepo served as a panelist in the discussion “One Health: experiences and scientific evidence that have influenced public-policy decision-making,” where she shared insights alongside members of the scientific diaspora and national experts.
In her remarks, she highlighted how evidence generated from integrative approaches such as One Health is helping guide decision-making in human, animal, and environmental health, and building bridges between science and policy.
She also moderated the One Health Scientific Advisory Tables, dialogue spaces involving researchers, decision-makers, representatives of international cooperation agencies, social organizations, and government institutions. These sessions consolidated public-
policy recommendations and a roadmap to strengthen scientific diplomacy with a regional focus—a key step toward linking knowledge with public action.
““These experiences reaffirm that scientific diplomacy is essential to strengthening the connection between research, society, and public policy,” — ”
stated the researcher, who is also part of the Antimicrobial Resistance and Hospital Epidemiology Research Group (RAEH) at Universidad El Bosque.
ICARS supports new project LIMCRE in Colombia to tackle antimicrobial resistance
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As part of the global commitment to supporting sustainable solutions to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) is advancing the implementation of a project in Colombia focused on reducing the spread of resistant bacteria in high-complexity public hospitals, one of the greatest challenges to global public health.
The project, “Development of a multimodal strategy to decrease and/or limit the spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) in public health institutions in Colombia,” is led by the Antimicrobial Resistance and Hospital Epidemiology Research Group (RAEH) at Universidad El Bosque and has both technical and financial support from ICARS.
The purpose of this initiative is to reduce clinical infections and colonization by CRE in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of high-complexity public hospitals through the implementation of strategies that strengthen prevention practices, infection control, and the rational use of antibiotics.
To achieve this, the project will be implemented in five high-complexity public hospitals located in Bogotá, Cali, Cartagena, Neiva, and Ibagué, and seeks to generate evidence that contributes to the design of effective and sustainable public policies to address antimicrobial resistance in the country.
In November 2024, the project was officially presented at Colombia’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MINSALUD) during a meeting that brought together representatives from national and international institutions. During the event, Dr. Sujith J. Chandy, Director
of ICARS, emphasized the importance of strengthening strategic partnerships with Colombian institutions to tackle the challenges of antimicrobial resistance through applied research and context-adapted solutions.
Representatives from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) also participated in the session, highlighting the relevance of this type of collaboration to strengthen local capacities, improve infection prevention and control practices in public hospitals, and generate scientific evidence to guide sustainable public policies.
This partnership with Universidad El Bosque makes it possible to advance in supporting partner countries in the search for sustainable and context-appropriate solutions to antimicrobial resistance, promoting scientific cooperation and the exchange of knowledge across regions.
LIMCRE strengthens international capacity to address antimicrobial resistance
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LIMCRE participated in the Comprehensive Training on the Design and Implementation of Behaviour Change Interventions to address AMR Challenges in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, a training program held in Entebbe, Uganda, with support from the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS).
Dr. Natalia Restrepo Arbeláez, from the Antimicrobial Resistance and Hospital Epidemiology (RAEH) Research Group at Universidad El Bosque, attended on behalf of LIMCRE alongside professionals from Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Kosovo, Cambodia, Tanzania, Malawi, and Denmark. During the training, participants strengthened their skills in the use of behavioral science to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of interventions addressing AMR in low- and middle-income settings.
The program was led by experts from University College London (UCL), The University of Manchester, the University of Surrey, and Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), and included theoretical and practical sessions on the design, implementation, and evaluation of behavior-change strategies in public health.
“Thanks to ICARS for the opportunity and for their commitment to strengthening global capacity to address antimicrobial resistance through evidence-based and behavior-informed approaches,” said Dr. Restrepo.