Introducing: UK-ALF-A!
Following the success of ALF-A, a new CPA antimicrobial stewardship fellowship is underway
As part of our ongoing Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) programme, delivered in partnership with Global Health Partnerships, the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association is delighted to announce the launch of our new antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) leadership fellowship: UK-ALF-A.
UK-ALF-A – the United Kingdom-Africa Leadership Fellowship – AMS – is a 12-month programme for early- to mid-career pharmacists, marking the first time CwPAMS has offered a fellowship for both UK-based and African pharmacists. The UK-ALF-A cohort comprises 40 Fellows and will run from April 2025 until March 2026.
The Fellowship is a new addition for phase 2.5 of CwPAMS: in CwPAMS 1.0 and 1.5, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Global Health Fellowship (CPhOGHF) was available to UK-based NHS pharmacists; in phase 2.0, ALF-A trained 45 pharmacists across eight lower- and middle-income countries in Africa as AMS leaders.
Drawing upon the experience of those previous fellowships, UK-ALF-A will solidify the CwPAMS’s health partnerships model by fostering productive relationships, bidirectional learning and international collaboration. The objective of the joint UK-Africa Fellowship is to create a diverse, resilient network of leaders equipped to drive AMS initiatives on a national scale and beyond, supporting long-term sustainability and succession planning.
Victoria Rutter
Chief Executive Officer
“We are excited to bring together our previous CwPAMS Fellowships into our very first joint UK-Africa AMS Fellowship programme.
“In the face of the current challenges to global health funding, supporting the development of in-country leaders and the partnership approach are fantastic ways to support sustainability and are fully aligned with the Commonwealth’s focus on the importance of partnerships and young people.
“We are thankful to our funders, the Fleming Fund, for enabling our impactful work.”
UK-ALF-A formally commenced on Tuesday 29th April with an induction session hosted by our Workforce Capability Building Programme Lead, Chiko Savieli. Fellows also heard from: Victoria Rutter, CEO; Dr Helena Rosado, Research and Evaluation Lead; Edwin Panford-Quainoo, CwPAMS Senior Antimicrobial Resistance Technical Advisor; and a range of our Technical Expert In-Country Consultants.
Outside of the CPA team, our colleagues at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society introduced the mentorship aspect of the programme, and Charlotte Richards and Elizabeth Gathua (alumni of CPhOGHF and ALF-A, respectively) reflected on their experiences of past CwPAMS Fellowships.
More about UK-ALF-A
Each CwPAMS health partnership will host a UK-ALF-A Fellow, either from the UK, Africa or both. Those Fellows will then undertake modules in:
- AMS
- Quality improvement, behaviour change & project management
- Healthcare leadership
- Global health
Fellows will be embedded within their health partnership teams and, in addition to the courses listed above, will conduct a project-work-based AMS quality improvement project, leading on one of their CwPAMS health partnership’s project deliverables. This collaborative model enhances project implementation while also promoting sustainability, shared learning, succession planning, and the transfer of knowledge and skills across regions.
To guide the Fellows in delivering their AMS quality improvement project and achieving their development goals, each will be supported by two experienced mentors – one based in Africa and one in the UK. This collaborative dual-mentorship structure enriches the Fellow’s learning experience and strengthens support systems.
They will then apply their learning by leading AMS-related activities and solutions in-country, in parallel with their partner health institutions. Each Fellow will have a designated project supervisor, responsible for reviewing project plans, activities, and reports to ensure alignment with the partnership’s objectives.
Finally, Fellows will complete a self-assessment and a 360-degree feedback exercise based on the International Pharmaceutical Federation Global Advanced Development Framework, identifying key competency areas for growth and shaping their individual leadership development plans.
To stay up to date with the Fellowship and celebrate the successes of our UK-ALF-A Fellows, make sure you stay up to date with CPA’s social media channels.
About CwPAMS and the Fleming Fund
The Department of Health and Social Care’s Fleming Fund is a UK aid programme supporting up to 25 countries across Africa and Asia to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a leading public health threat across the world. 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.
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If you want to help CPA continue its innovative and impactful work in developing the global pharmacy workforce, amongst our other objectives, please consider supporting our work as a Patron. The support of our Patrons helps us to invest in transformative healthcare initiatives, promote patient-centred care, and champion collaboration across the Commonwealth, enabling us to make a tangible global impact.