Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

Enhancing antimicrobial stewardship through pharmacy across the Commonwealth

Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial medicines include antifungals, antibiotics, antiparasitics and antivirals. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microorganisms like bacteria that cause infection and disease adapt to resist their effect. One of the main causes of AMR is the overuse and misuse of antimicrobial medications in human health, animals and the environment. By 2050 it is predicted that more people will die of AMR related causes than Cancer, making it an urgent crisis. On the 21st of September 2016, 193 countries of the United Nations agreed a landmark declaration to rid the world of superbugs. Without global action it is conceivable that simple infections could soon become entirely untreatable with existing antimicrobials. Pharmacists play a crucial role in the fight to tackle AMR.

A global action plan on AMR

Endorsed at the World Health Assembly in May 2015, this plan aims to ensure the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases with safe and effective medicines continues, based on five strategic objectives:

To improve awareness and understanding of AMR
To strengthen surveillance and research
To reduce the incidence of infection
To optimize the use of antimicrobial medicines
To ensure sustainable investment in countering antimicrobial resistance

The CPA partnerships to tackle AMR

AMR is today’s problem and it needs to be top of everyone’s agendas. This is not an easy issue to solve; increasing awareness of AMR and optimising the use of antibiotics are only part of the solution, but everyone can all a play a part, no matter how small.

The Commonwealth spirit would encourage us to commit to work together and share the tools, resources and expertise that we have to support all our nations in developing and delivering an effective action plan to tackle this issue.

commonwealth partnerships for antimicrobial stewardship programmes

12 health partnerships between UK NHS teams and their counterparts in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia formed to support AMS initiatives to tackle AMR

antibiotic guardian award winner

The Commonwealth Pharmacists Association and Tropical Health and Education Trust won the Antibiotic Guardian Multicountry Collaboration Award for creating the CwPAMS scheme

CPHOGH FELLOWS

Sixteen pharmacists volunteering as part of CwPAMS successfully graduate as the first cohort of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England’s Global Health Fellows

BEAT BAD MICROBES, RWANDA

The CPA partnered with the University of Reading and the Rwanda Community Pharmacists Union to produce educational resources and tools for community pharmacists to help educate the public on AMR