Working to find a global solution to the antibiotic emergency
Five representatives of CPA attended a critical stakeholder meeting in London on May 16th, 2024 to discuss the economic and human consequences of rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
Convened by the UK Government and The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences, the meeting brought together senior stakeholders including His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, representatives from the United Nations, Ministers from various Commonwealth member states as well as organisations – like CPA – championing solutions to the AMR crisis.
This important event provided a platform for the dissemination of the latest scientific and socioeconomic research into AMR and its impact, as well as insight sharing from campaigns being undertaken by organisations like CPA to tackle AMR, as part of the build-up to the High-Level Meeting on AMR at the UN General Assembly in September 2024. Discussions emphasised AMR as a “One Health” challenge with consequences for human health, animal welfare, the natural environment and the global economy.
Antimicrobial resistance threatens our health, our environment, our livelihoods and our future. Unless we act now and together, the ripple effects of drug resistance will be felt across generations - jeopardising the wellbeing of our children and our grandchildren.
Showcasing CPA's achievements in fighting AMR
Attendees viewed a new film from CPA and the Tropical Health & Education Trust (THET) highlighting the impact of our joint Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) Programme. CwPAMS builds partnerships between the UK and eight African countries to tackle AMR through improved antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), with CPA provide technical leadership for the programme’s delivery.
CwPAMS has been working to raise awareness of AMR and AMS across the health sector in the eight partnership countries. The programme seeks to empower pharmacists as champions of AMS through a mix of bespoke leadership fellowshio programmes and capacity development work, which has seen thousands of healthcare workers trained in better AMS and infection prevention/control practices. CwPAMS strives to develop better reporting and detection mechanisms for substandard and falsified medicines (SFMs) – the increasing prevalence of which is an exacerbating factor in the AMR crisis.
CPA also pursues a One Health approach through our work in this area. A number of CwPAMS health partnerships are encouraging collaborative efforts between the human health, animal health and environmental sectors. CPA’s Prescribing Companion App offers access to both human and animal health treatment guidelines to promote prudent antibiotic use at the point of care in both domains.
The CwPAMS presentation used footage from a recent visit to Kenya, where the Bristol-Nanyki Health Partnership have co-delivered workshops to healthcare workers covering AMS, AMR, and infection prevention & control.
The Ubuntu philosophy at the heart of CwPAMS' collaborative approach
The best partnerships are those that allow reciprocal growth and learning within the team, celebrating successes and not shying away from the challenges [...] The mutually beneficial partnerships are evident through the CwPAMS programme with the upskilling and empowerment of pharmacists as leaders within the NHS and health institutions of partners in the eight African countries we work with.
CPA’s Senior Technical AMR Advisor, Claire Brandish, was invited to be part of a panel of civil society organisations (CSOs) chaired by the UK Special Envoy on AMR Professor Dame Sally Davis.
Drawing on her experience as a beneficiary of the CPA led Chief Pharmaceutical Officers Global Health Fellows programme, volunteering on a CwPAMS health partnership project in Uganda, Claire inspired the delegates with the Ubuntu philosophy “I am, because you are” – a concept found in many Bantu languages.
This philosophy offers a powerful and compelling conceptualisation of what effective partnerships should look like, emphasising the interconnectedness of partners and the importance of synergy when working with others to tackle emerging health challenges like AMR.
Voices of AMR survivors
To bring the human impact of AMR into focus, attendees at the event heard personal stories from the World Health Organisation (WHO) Taskforce of AMR Survivors – including CPA’s In-Country Consultant for Nigeria, Mashood Lawal. Mashood shared his experience as a survivor of drug-resistant infection and discussed how access to quality, properly managed antibiotics is essential. The Survivors panel emphasised the need to focus on building the capacity of health workers and putting “patients at the forefront of decision-making”.
Reflections and next steps
This Royal Society stakeholder event provided a valuable opportunity for CPA to connect with other advocates in the AMR space across the world and the Commonwealth, and to make the case for increased investment in tackling AMR to policy and decision-makers.
For its part, the UK Government committed at the meeting to further financial support in the global fight against AMR in the region of £85million; other commitments were forthcoming from participating partners including Saudi Arabia, GSK and the World Bank. The European Union (EU) announced a welcome commitment to facilitating greater scientific collaboration (including with UK partners) around antimicrobial resistance.
The experience and knowledge shared at the event will feed into the forthcoming UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR in September. This meeting – which CPA will be submitting evidence-based policy recommendations to both independently and as part of the CwPAMS Programme – is a crucial precursor to the formation of an intergovernmental Political Declaration on AMR, supported by the WHO and a number of other leading health organisations.
About CwPAMS and the Fleming Fund
Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) is an initiative to tackle AMR and promote AMS. They are backed by funding from The Department of Health and Social Care’s Fleming Fund, a UK aid programme supporting up to 25 countries across Africa and Asia to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The Fleming Fund invests in strengthening data surveillance systems through a portfolio of country grants, regional grants and fellowships managed by Mott MacDonald, and global projects managed by partners.