Q4 Programme Updates
As 2024 draws to a close, we are excited to provide you with an update on recent developments in our various programmes, courtesy of our esteemed programmes staff. The last few months have proved a busy and exciting time for all of our workstreams, and we are excited to bring you further updates as we enter the New Year.
Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS)
Maxencia Nabiryo, CPA Head of Programmes
Over the past two years, the second phase of the CwPAMS programme (CwPAMS 2.0) has yielded substantial results. In recent months, we have prioritised efforts to disseminate lessons learned among stakeholders and partners, while laying the groundwork for the programme’s long-term sustainability.
Chaired by our CPA Technical In-Country Consultants (ICCs), we have launched a series of Hub-and-Spoke Showcase Webinars that allow CwPAMS health partnerships which have implemented the hub-and-spoke model (HSM) to share their learnings as an approach to upscaling antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). The inaugural session featured Kenyan and Ugandan hub pharmacist leaders sharing the impact of effective infection prevention and control strategies, and the second shared strategies for implementing AMS in hospitals from pharmacists in Tanzania and Malawi.
We have also supported the ICCs in organising face-to-face meetings between representatives from hub-and-spoke sites. These interactions created valuable opportunities for shared learning and knowledge exchange across the sites, sharing strategies for sustaining the achievements attained through the CwPAMS programme. Meanwhile, in ALF-A, the fellowship team have facilitated collaborative meetings with the Fleming Fund fellows, fostering opportunities for shared learning between participants in both programmes.
The CPA has shared lessons from our CwPAMS technical leadership at several conferences including the 82nd FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the 2024 Royal Pharmaceutical Society Annual Conference, and we are scheduled to present at the 20th International Congress on Infectious Diseases in Cape Town. Finally, a scoping review manuscript on the application of the HSM in AMS programmes was published in BioMed, available here. The CPA team is currently working on more publications to disseminate other lessons from CwPAMS 2.
As the programme’s second phase nears its end in March 2025, we are excited to share our experiences further and explore new opportunities to enhance sustainability and build upon our achievements.
Surveillance and Prescribing Support for Antimicrobial Stewardship Resource Capacity Building (SPARC)
Bridget Kebirungi, Programme Manager
Over the last few months, SPARC Phase 2 has continued to achieve its objectives. At the time of writing, 17 country work plans have been successfully aligned with Country Investment Strategies and approved by the Fleming Fund Management Agent, Mott MacDonald, for delivery. This paves the way for the implementation of SPARC in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
At the 8th World One Health Congress in Cape Town in September, SPARC participated in a learning side event in collaboration with other Fleming Fund regional and strategic alignment grants. This event provided a platform to reflect on the challenges and lessons of implementing AMS initiatives regionally, and together, participants identified practical strategies to foster cooperation and ensure these programmes leave a lasting legacy.
We continue to achieve critical progress in SPARC’s three primary workstreams. Our in-country App Champions for the Prescribing Companion App have spearheaded successful launch events in Nepal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Timor-Leste, engaging key AMS stakeholders and driving national commitments for app integration. In Data for Action, the Technical team is finalising materials for the training workshop rollout, supporting evidence-based decision-making across participating countries. This rollout is scheduled for early next year.
Finally, we continue to make progress with the Malawi eMMS. We are working in collaboration with the Malawi Department of Health to ensure the delivery of an interoperable, fully aligned medicines management system. As we build momentum, we look forward to more impactful milestones across SPARC in the months ahead.
Substandard and Falsified Medicines Webinar Series
Gloria Tumukunde, CwPAMS Project Officer
We have recently launched a series of webinars focused on substandard and falsified medicines (SFMeds) as part of our CwPAMS2 programme, with each webinar focusing on a different CwPAMS-participating country. We are delivering the webinars, which are free to attend, from October to December 2024.
An estimated 10% of medicines are substandard or falsified in LMICs, which creates a significant risk of treatment failure, adverse drug reactions, and even mortality. The webinars offer insights from experts in the field of medicines regulation to provide a deep understanding of the SFMeds landscape in each country, including specific examples of the challenges and strategies that exist in these countries. We aim to empower pharmacists by teaching practical steps to identify and report SFMeds, as well as best practices for safe and effective medicine use.
Empowering Youth for a Healthier Tomorrow Webinar Series
Tara van der Vliet, Commonwealth Year of Youth Programme Manager & AMS Technical Officer
As youth make up 60% of the Commonwealth’s population, leaders at the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting declared 2023/24 to be the Commonwealth Year of Youth: a campaign dedicated to championing youth-led action for sustainable and inclusive development and acknowledging the vital role that young people play in shaping our world.
Young pharmacists play a crucial part in shaping the future of healthcare across the Commonwealth. In recognition of this, the CPA has been presenting a series of webinars aimed at upskilling early-career pharmacists – with pharmacists also contributing to the agenda. So far, our sessions have received incredible engagement and enthusiasm, with over 80 people joining us for our recent webinar concerning Digital Competency in Healthcare.
We are excited to be delivering a further three webinars in this series. If you are an early-career pharmacist, you can learn more or register here.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Platform
Chiko Savieli, Workforce Capability Building Programme Lead
In April, we were delighted to launch our newly improved CPA CPD e-learning platform. Our courses are now grouped into four focus areas: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Communicable Diseases, Non-Communicable Diseases and Pharmacy Practice. Accessing the course has also been streamlined; learners can access the course via their National Pharmacy Association or as an individual member.
In the Communicable Diseases category, we have added three comprehensive courses to our TB series with a view to equipping pharmacists with the necessary knowledge to support the safe and effective prescribing of TB treatments, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes. Following the TB Overview course, the TB Management course provides foundational knowledge on treatments, and subsequent courses delve into the specific support pharmacists can offer to patients and other healthcare workers throughout the patient’s journey. Each course includes actionable behaviour change outcomes, encouraging learners to apply their new skills and knowledge to improve patient care and make positive changes in their practice.
We have also expanded our Pharmacy Practice and Non-Communicable Diseases portfolios, having recently launched courses in Supply Chain and Substandard and Falsified Medicines. Next will be our Diabetes Overview course, scheduled to be released in December. In addition to the courses themselves, we have been running supplementary webinars featuring insights from field experts and specialist pharmacists across the Commonwealth who have pioneered innovative services.