Participating Sites and Research Team

What Do We Want To Know?

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health crisis that makes infections harder to treat, leading to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs, and greater deaths. In 2018, AMR contributed to 14,000 deaths in Canada alone. Children are particularly vulnerable to infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, yet there is currently no national program in Canada that tracks the impact of AMR specifically in pediatric populations.

CAN-POP-AMR aims to fill this critical gap by establishing the first nationwide pediatric-specific AMR surveillance network. This research will help us understand how widespread these infections are in children, identify high-risk groups, and guide the development of vaccines and new treatments.

Ultimately, this study will provide the necessary data to inform national health policies and interventions, helping protect Canadian children from the growing threat of AMR.

How Are We Doing It?

The study will involve 16 pediatric hospitals across Canada, collecting data on children admitted with resistant bacterial infections, as well as those with selected antibiotic-susceptible infections for comparison. We will gather detailed information on the types of bacteria involved, their resistance patterns, and patient outcomes. Additionally, bacterial samples will be collected and stored for future research, enabling us to study how bacteria evolve and develop resistance, and support development of vaccines and other interventions.

How Is The Study Going?

This study will be launched in early 2025!

 Who Is Included?

Children who are hospitalized and/or assessed in the Emergency Department at one of the pediatric hospitals in the POPCORN network with an invasive AMR infection caused by any organism and/or with an invasive infection caused by Klebsiella, Streptococcus pneumoniae or Staphylococcus aureus.