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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a multifaceted global health problem disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Capturing data on Antimicrobial resistance Patterns and Trends in Use in Regions of Asia (CAPTURA) project was tasked to expand the volume of AMR and antimicrobial use data in Asia. The CAPTURA project used 2 data-collection streams: facility data and project metadata. Project metadata constituted information collected to map out data sources and assess data quality, while facility data referred to the retrospective data collected from healthcare facilities. A down-selection process, labelled "the funnel approach" by the project, was adopted to use the project metadata in prioritizing and selecting laboratories for retrospective AMR data collection. Moreover, the metadata served as a guide for understanding the AMR data once they were collected. The findings from CAPTURA's metadata add to the current discourse on the limitation of AMR data in LMICs. There is generally a low volume of AMR data generated as there is a lack of microbiology laboratories with sufficient antimicrobial susceptibility testing capacity. Many laboratories in Asia are still capturing data on paper, resulting in scattered or unused data not readily accessible or shareable for analyses. There is also a lack of clinical and epidemiological data captured, impeding interpretation and in-depth understanding of the AMR data. CAPTURA's experience in Asia suggests that there is a wide spectrum of capacity and capability of microbiology laboratories within a country and region. As local AMR surveillance is a crucial instrument to inform context-specific measures to combat AMR, it is important to understand and assess current capacity-building needs while implementing activities to enhance surveillance systems., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. A. Clark reports receiving funds for their institution from the CAPTURA grant. A. T. A. reports being an employee of Brigham and Women's Hospital since September 2022 and a consultant since 2021 and working as a consultant for the CAPTURA project from September 2021 to March 2022. A. S. reports receiving compensation from the Public Health Surveillance Group. W. M. reports receiving financial support from the International Vaccine Group, UKAID, and a subgrant for CAPTURA work. B. D. reports receiving compensation from the Public Health Surveillance Group. D. M. A. reports receiving financial support from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Unit on genomic surveillance of AMR and the Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance. J. S. reports a subcontract for salary support and travel from the International Vaccine Institute. E. E. reports being a consultant with the International Vaccine Institute since April 2021 and staff and consulting funds from the WHO WPRO, ABD, FHI, and UNICEF. P. G. reports receiving compensation from the Public Health Surveillance Group. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

The increasing trends in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continue to pose a significant threat to human health, with grave consequences in low- and middle-income countries. In collaboration with local governments and microbiology laboratories in South Asian and Southeast Asian countries, the Capturing Data on Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns and Trends in Use in Regions of Asia (CAPTURA) project worked to identify gaps and expand the volume of existing AMR data to inform decision-makers on how to best strengthen their national AMR surveillance capacity. This article describes overall project management processes and the strategies implemented to address the disruptive impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the project activities across diverse contexts in different countries. Also, it assesses in-country team's feedback on the conduct of activities and their overall impact on project completion. The strategies employed were tailored to the specific context of each country and included increased communication and collaboration among consortium partners and in-country teams, as well as hiring of additional in-country team members. This paper highlights the importance of local representation and capacities as well as real-time (virtual) engagement with stakeholders, ensuring close monitoring of the local situation and ability to tailor context-specific mitigation strategies to continue project implementation during disruptive external circumstances., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. B. P. reports supporting National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology staff for their extra time to summarize the retrospective data on antimicrobial resistance. B. D. reports compensation and grant funding from the Public Health Surveillance Group (PHSG). H. S. J. has been employed by IVI since 2021; received payments from the CAPTURA project as a consultant; and was hired by IVI between April 2019 and March 2021. A. S. reports receiving compensation from PHSG. W. M. reports funding from IVI and UKAID and grants from IVI and UKAID. P. G. reports funding support from PHSG. M. J. S. reports being employed as a CAPTURA Country Coordinator for Bangladesh from April 2020 to May 2022 and received payments; worked as a full-time staff member for IVI based in Seoul; and supported CAPTURA implementation for the 11 South and Southeast Asian countries and received monthly renumeration. S. G. reports receiving consultancy payments for manuscript formation, interpretation of the results, and writing the discussion and from IVI as an independent consultant. M. G. reports payments to IVI from the UK Fleming Fund for the CAPTURA project. N. M. reports managing the in-country coordination for Pakistan and provision of supporting documents, information, and data; and received grant funding from the CAPTURA grant. P. Y. reports support from the Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan and IVI; grant funding from the Fleming Fund Regional Grant; and support for travel and attending meetings from the CAPTURA project, IVI, and the Fleming Fund Regional Grant. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: An effective implementation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance projects requires sustainable and multidisciplinary engagement with stakeholders from various backgrounds, interests and aims. The "Capturing Data on Antimicrobial resistance Patterns and Trends in Use in Regions of Asia" (CAPTURA) project, funded by the Fleming Fund, initially targeted 12 countries in South Asia (SA) and Southeast Asia (SEA) to "expand the volume of historical and current data on AMR and antimicrobial usage" and support local agencies through capacity building activities., Methods: In this article, we focus on early stakeholder engagement activities and present overall statistics on AMR data collated from 72 laboratories across seven countries. This included 2.3 million records of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) data, which were curated, analyzed, and shared back to the facilities for informed decision making., Results: Approximately 98% of the data collated by CAPTURA originated from laboratories based in SA countries. Furthermore, country-wide data were analyzed to identify commonly reported pathogens in each country, followed by descriptions of AST practices and multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. Overall, we found meager adherence to standard guidelines to perform and record AST results, and a significant number of MDR pathogens were reported., Conclusions: We conclude that close collaboration with the existing national mechanisms for identifying AMR data sources was crucial for the project's success. Although we show a vast retrospective dataset on AMR is available for data sharing in Asia, there remain critical gaps in data generation/management practice and analysis capacity for AMR data at most facilities., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. A. T. A. reports being an employee with Brigham and Women's Hospital since September 2022 and a consultant since April 2021. They worked for CAPTURA project as a consultant between September 2021 and March 2022 and earned consultancy fees. A. C. reports grants and consultancy fees from the International Vaccine Institute. W. M. reports a subgrant for CAPTURA work from the international Vaccine Institute and a grant to IVI from UKaid. A. S. reports a subgrant for CAPTURA work from the International Vaccine Institute and a grant to IVI from UKaid. J. S. reports a subcontract for salary support and travel from the International Vaccine Institute. P. G. reports compensation from the Public Health Surveillance Group. M. J. S. reports receiving support for analysing the data for the manuscript and salary support from the International Vaccine Institute. S. G, reports receiving a consultancy fee for manuscript formation, interpretation of the results and writing the discussion. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Data on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from sites not participating in the National AMR surveillance network, conducted by National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), remain largely unknown in Nepal. The "Capturing Data on Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns and Trends in Use in Regions of Asia" (CAPTURA) assessed AMR data from previously untapped data sources in Nepal. A retrospective cross-sectional data review was carried out for the AMR data recorded between January 2017 and December 2019 to analyze AMR data from 26 hospital-based laboratories and 2 diagnostic laboratories in Nepal. Of the 56 health facilities initially contacted to participate in this project activity, 50.0% (28/56) signed a data-sharing agreement with CAPTURA. Eleven of the 28 hospitals were AMR surveillance sites, whereas the other 17, although not part of the National AMR surveillance network, recorded AMR-related data. Data for 663 602 isolates obtained from 580 038 patients were analyzed. A complete record of the 11 CAPTURA priority variables was obtained from 45.5% (5/11) of government hospitals, 63.6% (7/11) of private hospitals, and 54.6% (6/11) of public-private hospitals networked with NPHL for AMR surveillance. Similarly, 80% (8/10) of clinics and 54.6% (6/11) of laboratories outside the NPHL network recorded complete data for the 10 Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) priority variables and 11/14 CAPTURA priority variables. Retrospective review of the data identified areas requiring additional resources and interventions to improve the quality of data on AMR in Nepal. Furthermore, we observed no difference in the priority variables reported by sites within or outside the NPHL network, thus suggesting that policies could be made to expand the surveillance system to include these sites without substantially affecting the government's budget., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. S. M. reports payments made to their institution from the International Vaccine Institute; grants and contracts from the International Vaccine Institute; payment made to their institution from Anweshan Private Limited; support for attending meetings as part of the project implementation plan, multiple meetings with stakeholders and hospital authority were required that needed distant travelling. P. G. reports receiving compensation from the International Vaccine Institute. M. G. reports payments made to their institution from the International Vaccine Institute; payments made to their institution from Anweshan Private limited; and received travel support as part of the project implementation plan, multiple meetings with stakeholders and hospital authority were required that needed distant travelling. M. J. S. reports working as a CAPTURA Country Coordinator for Bangladesh from 2020 to 2022; worked as a full-time staff member of the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul and supported the CAPTURA implementation; received consultancy fees from the International Vaccine Institute. A. T. A. reports working as an employee of Brigham and Women's Hospital since April 2021; received consultancy fees for work with CAPTURA project as a consultant between September 2021 and March 2022. S. G. reports receiving consultancy payments for manuscript preparation; and salary support from the International Vaccine Institute. J. S. reports salary support through a subcontract. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Excessive or inappropriate antimicrobial use contributes to antimicrobial resistance, emphasizing the need to monitor and document the types and quantities of antibiotics used. Thus, data on antimicrobial consumption (AMC) and antimicrobial usage (AMU) are key in informing and promoting judicious use. Our study, conducted during 2019-2023, as part of the CAPTURA project, aimed to understand the state of data availability and quality for AMC and AMU monitoring in Asia. In this article, we describe the challenges and opportunities faced and provide examples of AMU and AMC analysis. World Health Organization (WHO) and country-tailored methodologies and tools were applied to collect retrospective data from 2016 to 2019 in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste. The primary indicator for national AMC was total level of consumption, expressed as total defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants per day for the year or period of data collected. For facility AMC and AMU, the primary indicator was total DDD per admissions per day for the year or period of data collected. Although many countries faced infrastructural challenges in data collection and storage, we managed to collect and analyze AMC data from 6 countries and AMU data from 5. The primary indicators, and additional findings, were visualized to facilitate dissemination and promote the development of action plans. Looking ahead, it is crucial that future initiatives empower each country to establish surveillance infrastructures tailored to their unique contexts, ensuring sustainable progress in the fight against antimicrobial resistance., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. E. E. reports funding from the International Vaccine Institute for technical support to the CAPTURA project. All other authors report no potential conflicts. The authors have submitted ICMJE forms and have no conflicts to report. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) conducts active, case-based national antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in Bangladesh. The Capturing Data on Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns and Trends in Use in Regions of Asia (CAPTURA) project accessed aggregated retrospective data from non-IEDCR study sites and 9 IEDCR sites to understand the pattern and extent of AMR and to use analyzed data to guide ongoing and future national AMR surveillance in both public and private laboratories. Record-keeping practices, data completeness, quality control, and antimicrobial susceptibility test practices were investigated in all laboratories participating in case-based IEDCR surveillance and laboratory-based CAPTURA sites. All 9 IEDCR laboratories recorded detailed case-based data (n = 16 816) in electronic format for a priority subset of processed laboratory samples. In contrast, most CAPTURA sites (n = 18/33 [54.5%]) used handwritten registers to store data. The CAPTURA sites were characterized by fewer recorded variables (such as patient demographics, clinical history, and laboratory findings) with 1 020 197 individual data, less integration of patient records with the laboratory information system, and nonuniform practice of data recording; however, data were collected from all available clinical samples. The analyses conducted on AMR data collected by IEDCR and CAPTURA in Bangladesh provide current data collection status and highlight opportunities to improve ongoing data collection to strengthen current AMR surveillance system initiatives. We recommend a tailored approach to conduct AMR surveillance in high-burden, resource-limited settings., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. M. J. S. reports leading the manuscript planning, writing, coordinating with the co-authors, data analysis, interpretation, graphics, and conflict of interest collections; worked as a CAPTURA country coordinator in Bangladesh from April 2020 to May 2022 and received consultancy fees; working as a full-time staff for the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) based in Seoul and supporting CAPTURA implementation for the 11 South and Southeast Asian Countries. Z. H. H. reports leading the national case-based AMR Surveillance system in IEDCR; was supported to implement CAPTURA activities in the country; and reviewed the manuscript. A. R. reports that they collaborated with the CAPTURA project in Bangladesh; reviewed the manuscript; and collaborated on the manuscript idea. S. M. S. R. reports participating in writing and reviewing the manuscript. H. T. B. reports working as a microbiology consultant for the CAPTURA project in Bangladesh and received a monthly salary and reviewed the manuscript. A. T. A. is an employee at Brigham and Women's Hospital since September 2022 and has been a consultant since April 2021, and earned consulting fees from working as a CAPTURA project consultant between September 2021 and March 2022. A. H. worked for the CAPTURA project and reviewed the manuscript, and earned consulting fees for working as the Bangladesh consultant for the CAPTURA project. S. B. G. R. reports coordinating and monitoring all activities regarding the national case-based AMR surveillance system led by IEDCR; supported the CAPTURA activities in the country; and reviewed the manuscript. H. S. J. reports being an employee with the IVI since April 2021 and reviewed the manuscript. K. Y. K. C. reports being an employee of the IVI and reviewed the manuscript. S. Y. K. reports being an employee of the IVI from July 2018. A. C. reports payments through the Brigham and Women's Hospital, WHONET contract. S. G. reports receiving a consultancy fee for manuscript formation, interpretation of the results, and writing the discussion, and also received consultancy payments from the IVI. F. M. reports salary payments from July 2018 from the IVI; grant funding from the CAPTURA project fund, The Fleming Fund, and UKAid. J. S. reports funding from the UK Fleming Fund CAPTURA Project and consulting fees from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. A. S. reports funding from the Public Health Surveillance Group and worked as a consortium partner with CAPTURA and the IVI. N. P. reports formation of the manuscript. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global public health challenge associated with 4.95 million deaths in 2019 and an estimated 10 million deaths per year by 2050 in the absence of coordinated action. A robust AMR surveillance system is therefore required to avert such a scenario. Based on an analysis of country-level AMR data in 8 Capturing Data on Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns and Trends in Use in Regions of Asia (CAPTURA) countries, we present a list of key recommendations to strengthen AMR surveillance. We propose 10 primary considerations under 3 broad categories, including recommendations on (1) laboratory and testing practices, (2) data management and analysis, and (3) data use., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. J. St. reports payments made to institution from the UK Fleming Fund CAPTURA project and annual technical support to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. A. T. A. reports receiving consultancy fees for work with the CAPTURA project between September 2021 and March 2023. H. S. J. reports being an employee of the International Vaccine Institute since April 2021 and earning consultancy fees for their work with the CAPTURA project between April 2019 and March 2021. K. P. reports earning consulting fees from the International Vaccine Institute. J. S. reports being an employee of the International Vaccine Institute since June 2022 and earning consultancy fees for their work with the CAPTURA project mid 2020–May 2022. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

The present study attempted to study perception of time-compressed speech and the effect of compression ratio for phonemically balanced (PB) word lists in Kannada and monosyllables. The test was administered on 30 normal hearing individuals at compression ratios of 40%, 50%, 60%, 70% and 80% for PB words in Kannada and monosyllables. The results of the study showed that the speech identification scores for time-compressed speech reduced with increase in compression ratio. The scores were better for monosyllables compared to PB words especially at higher compression ratios. The study provides speech identification scores at different compression ratio for PB words and monosyllables in individuals with normal hearing. The results of the study also showed that the scores did not vary across gender for all the compression ratios for both the stimuli. The same test material needs to be compared the clinical population with central auditory processing disorder for clinical validation of the present results.