Two CPA abstracts published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
by Bobby Walker, Communications Officer and Maxencia Nabiryo, Head of Programmes
The Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA) is delighted to announce the publication of two abstracts in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases (IJID). The abstracts were included as part of a special supplement on abstracts from the International Conference on Infectious Diseases (ICID), following the CPA’s attendance at this event in December 2024.
The two abstracts which were published were:
Exploring challenges in implementing antimicrobial stewardship interventions across eight African nations: A multi case study
Authored by: Dr Ayesha Iqbal, Senior Research Officer; Maxencia Nabiryo; Dr Helena Rosado, Research and Evaluation Lead; Frances Garraghan, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Technical Lead (formerly); Claire Brandish, Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) AMR Technical Lead; Victoria Rutter, Chief Executive Officer.
Utilizing Antimicrobial Use Data for Intervention Design: Advancing Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices in African Health Facilities, across Eight Countries
Authored by: Maxencia Nabiryo; Dr Helena Rosado; Frances Garraghan; Dr Ayesha Iqbal; Chiko Savieli, Workforce Capability Building Programme Lead; Claire Brandish; Victoria Rutter.
Dr Helena Rosado
Research and Evaluation Lead
“Publishing our work is a strategic priority for us, ensuring our research contributes to global discussions on antimicrobial resistance and informs evidence-based policy and practice.
“The selection of our work for publication in the IJID highlights its significance and reflects our commitment to strengthening antimicrobial stewardship across African health systems. By sharing these insights, we aim to continue influencing broader policy efforts and driving actionable change to support sustainable, effective stewardship initiatives.”
The 20th biannual ICID took place from 3rd to 6th December 2024 in Cape Town, bringing together over 2,500 experts in the field of infectious diseases from more than 100 countries.The event created a unique platform for sharing and discussing innovative ideas in the control and management of infectious diseases in a One Health context and provided an opportunity for sparkling connections among experts in this field from various healthcare disciplines.
The CPA – led by Max Nabiryo – was in attendance to disseminate information regarding the role pharmacy professionals can play in the management of infectious diseases, and more broadly advocating for the role of pharmacists and the pharmacy profession within healthcare systems.
A multitude of pharmacists across the globe were in attendance, including renowned global leaders in the profession who gave keynote speeches but also many early-to-mid-career pharmacists including Fellows and mentors from our Africa Leadership Fellowship – AMS (ALF-A) programme. As such, the visibility of pharmacists was strong, and their contribution to health and well-being was recognised at the conference.
Capacity-building opportunities for pharmacists were highlighted, including: developing leadership ability; how pharmacists can influence healthcare management organisations and individuals to support interventions, and; storytelling as a tool for pharmacists to share their impact with stakeholders and policymakers in an understandable manner. Discussions also highlighted challenges pharmacists are facing in the management of infectious diseases, including poor supply chain systems and limited access to medicines. Overall, the event served as an advocacy space for the pharmacy profession to showcase its contributions, but it also highlighted the need for further empowerment of pharmacists.
Presentations were also held to spotlight the role of pharmacy professionals in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). Three such presentations were hosted by Max and pertained to CPA’s Commonwealth Partnership for Antimicrobial Stewardship programme, showcasing the challenges of implementing AMS programmes at health facilities in developing countries, demonstrating our use of surveillance data for action, and advocating for the need to invest in raising awareness on substandard and falsified medicines.
“To combat antimicrobial resistance, data is essential. CwPAMS has generated data that has driven improved antimicrobial stewardship practices across eight African countries and contributed to global knowledge sharing.”
Maxencia Nabiryo
Head of Programmes
In addition to sharing knowledge, we were also able to identify resources, including publications and experts who can inform and support our current and future plans of work. For instance, in line with CPA’s aim to strengthen the community arm of AMS through its programmes, we attended presentations on AMR in communities, studied all posters pertaining to the topic, and interacted with some of the authors who were willing to collaborate and share experiences
Max was able to lean on her experience to educate younger public health practitioners, including Fleming Fund Fellows, on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), whilst also engaging with senior global public health experts to access their wealth of knowledge and lessons for implementing health interventions from diverse international perspectives. Max described learning about their experiences as “an inspiration to [her] professional journey, exposing [her to] skills and opportunities to better [herself].”
Accordingly, the only source of frustration she reported was too many sessions of interest taking place at the same time!
We welcomed the opportunity to create new and strengthen existing relationships at the Congress, networking and exchanging contacts with experts and colleagues in public health with the aim of continuous shared learning and collaboration.
Max received a special invitation to participate in a side event convened by the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions, participating in a roundtable discussion on knowledge translation in AMR. The panel examined existing resources, identified barriers to the effective translation of AMR knowledge, and identified collaborative pathways to enhance evidence-informed policymaking in low- and middle-income countries. This discussion resulted in the creation of a community of practice in aid of continuing shared learning on this subject, and the CPA is represented by Max on this team of international experts.
In addition to this, we met several colleagues and partners from the Fleming Fund network. We first discussed collaboration opportunities with a team from the University of Liverpool (which is a host institution of the Fleming Fund Fellowship), highlighting the potential for shared learning between their Fellows and those from the ALF-A programme.
We then interacted with the Director of the newly established Fleming Initiative, Professor Alison Holmes, and gained insights into some of the plans for the upcoming Fleming Centre, due to open in 2028, which will support the delivery of pioneering research, innovative policy solutions and public engagement activities to educate, inspire, and catalyse action in the fight against AMR.
Finally, we met with policymakers from several of our implementing countries, including Eswatini, Kenya, Tanzania and Timor-Leste, to strengthen our relationships in these areas, and networked with several other professionals in the fields of public health and AMR from over ten countries and a wide variety of healthcare systems. We are excited to stay in contact with those we engaged with at the Congress to share learning and opportunities in future.
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