Wastewater and AMR Special Interest Collaborative (SPARC)

The Wastewater and AMR SPARC is a working group commissioned by the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) with the purpose of advancing knowledge in this topic, which HIS has identified as a priority. The SPARC will work across specialities and sectors, and across HIS, to co-ordinate efforts to reduce the patient impact of priority healthcare infections caused by wastewater and AMR.

Activities of the SPARC will include:

• Develop priority questions for research and innovation within the topic relevant to the SPARC.
• Prioritize activities to address the topic relevant to the SPARC.
• Scoping activities including expert meetings, surveys and focus group meetings to identify gaps in knowledge and limitations in clinical practice.
• Identify and involve relevant stakeholders.
• Apply for research and innovation funding from HIS and external sources to drive primary research and innovation activities.  
• Collaborate with clinicians, academics, societies, commercial organisations and other relevant stakeholders to undertake multidisciplinary research.
• Propose guidelines, training and events topics to the relevant HIS committee. 

Following the success of the first two meetings, we are pleased to be able to share the proposal for the group’s next steps:

• The third introductory meeting will be held online on Friday 19 September 11:00 to 15:00.
• Please click here or on the button below to register for the event. All SPARC members are welcome to attend, regardless of whether you were able to attend the first two meetings.
• A consortium statement is being written which summarises the data and discussions about AMR in water and wastewater described in the first two meetings. This will briefly outline the current knowledge and research gaps and will be shared with group members for your comments later in the summer. It is hoped that this statement will be published in the Autumn 2025 once agreed by SPARC members and the HIS council.
• The SPARC special interest group Terms of Reference are under development and once finalised, a call for SPARC committee positions will be circulated in July 2025.