I’m Nishana Ramdas, a pharmacist with a master’s in clinical pharmacy, currently pursuing my PhD in antimicrobial stewardship. With over 17 years of experience in public health, I currently support the national department of health to improve patient access to chronic medicines. My PhD builds on my passion for patient-centred care, focusing on community-driven approaches to tackling antimicrobial resistance. Through research, mentorship, and policy work, I’m committed to shaping a healthier future for all.

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global health crisis, threatening our ability to treat infections effectively. In low- and middle-income countries like South Africa, inappropriate antimicrobial use—driven by misinformation, self-medication, and over-the-counter antibiotic access—fuels this crisis. While antimicrobial stewardship programs exist, they often focus on hospital settings, leaving community-level antibiotic use unaddressed. My PhD research aims to address this gap by developing and validating the Community Antimicrobial Use Scale, or CAMUS, the first tool to measure antimicrobial use behaviours at the primary healthcare level. By identifying key drivers of misuse, CAMUS will inform targeted stewardship interventions, empowering healthcare providers and the public to combat AMR effectively. This research is a crucial step toward safeguarding the use of antibiotics and ultimately improving public health.