Alumni Fellows' contribution to tackling Antimicrobial Resistance

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Christopher Amandu, Laboratory Human Health fellow from Uganda participated in a cross-border meeting between Uganda and South Sudan in May, aimed at enhancing capacity for effective cross-border disease surveillance. The meeting addressed the grading of diseases prevalent in the region based on their endemicity, risk level, absence of vaccines, high treatment default rate, regional threat, and impact on morbidity and mortality.

During this event, Christopher played a pivotal role in providing training to 35 health workers and 8 laboratory technicians in essential antimicrobial stewardship activities within the microbiology laboratory of Yumbe Regional Referral Hospital (YRRH). His active involvement involved guiding participants through the processes of conducting timely, reliable, and reproducible identification and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Of particular importance was his emphasis on highlighting the critical interdependence between diagnostics and the successful implementation of antimicrobial stewardship practices.

I noticed that during my interactions, health workers including nurses, clinicians, medical officers, pharmacy technicians, and others displayed a significant knowledge gap concerning AMR/AMS. However, after providing training, I witnessed a genuine desire among their managers to initiate a proactive approach to combat AMR. The transformation was evident as health workers became more enthusiastic, passionate, and eager to drive the AMS program within their system. Their commitment to tackling the silent epidemic of antimicrobial resistance in the region and the country became evident and inspiring, fostering a shared determination to drive the AMS program forward.

Christopher Harold Amandu

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The East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) has launched the Strengthening pandemic preparedness in the Eastern, Central and Southern Africa Health Community project in five countries: Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia. Recently, a training program focused on advancing Antimicrobial Stewardship in Malawi took place in July, gathering over 50 attendees.

Evelyn Wesangula, a Human Health Policy fellow from Kenya, along with Ron Chitatanga, a Surveillance Human Health fellow from Malawi, and Harry Milala, a Laboratory Human Health fellow from Malawi, actively participated in organizing and contributing to the training.

The training provided valuable insights to participants from seven different hospitals on conducting antibiotic Point Prevalence surveys and utilizing laboratory Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) surveillance data to develop and interpret antibiograms. This knowledge will play a crucial role in promoting the responsible and appropriate use of antibiotics, empowering evidence-based clinical decisions, and ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes.

I'm a strong advocate for combating AMR by building a skilled healthcare workforce. This involves training healthcare professionals extensively in Antimicrobial Stewardship principles. Through this training, we empower them to make informed decisions about antibiotic use. It also paves the way for the creation of functional Antimicrobial Stewardship committees in healthcare facilities, which I've been actively involved in lately. I'm excited about the potential impact of this work, as it helps ensure effective antibiotic use and contributes to a healthier healthcare system overall.

Harry Milala

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During his fellowship, Dr. Joel Bazira, a Surveillance Human fellow, achieved significant milestones in his academic career. He earned a well-deserved promotion from Senior Lecturer to Associate Professor at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), where he now leads the Microbiology and Parasitology Department.

Prof. Bazira's exceptional dedication to research is evident through his impressive portfolio of 83 academic publications, earning him the prestigious Outstanding Researcher Award this year at the Mbarara University. This recognition was presented in May by Hon. Muyingo, State Minister for Higher Education in Uganda, highlighting Prof. Bazira's remarkable contributions to the field of Microbiology and Parasitology, particularly in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

It's incredibly energizing to receive an outstanding researcher award from my own university and be recognized for the dedication and hard work I've put into my research.

Prof. Joel Bazira

Dr. Ronald Chitatanga, an AMR Surveillance-Human Health fellow and Associate for AMR Research at Malawi's National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, has earned the Beit-Glasgow scholarship. This award supports his forthcoming one-year pursuit of an MSc in Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance at the University of Glasgow, commencing in September 2023.

Ronald played a vital role in Malawi's innovative One Health project, funded by the Fleming Fund and overseen by the University of Edinburgh. This project aimed to analyse socio-economic drivers of resistance and phenotypic patterns of Escherichia Coli across poultry, humans, and the environment. Serving as a model, this pilot initiative aligned with the broader objectives of the Malawi AMR National Coordinating Committee's efforts to implement the AMR National Action Plan.

Ronald's dedicated mission is to foster progress in Infectious Diseases Epidemiology in Malawi by decoding and translating AMR data into impactful policies. We wish him success in all his future endeavours!

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My professional journey up to this point has been defined by several pivotal experiences, with the Fleming Fund Fellowship standing out as one of the most significant. This unique fellowship connected me with an exceptional team of mentors from the University of Edinburgh, notably Dr Adrian Muwonge and Professor David Gally. Their collective expertise not only offered tailored career guidance throughout the fellowship but also extended far beyond its duration.

I am sincerely thankful to The Beit Trust for granting me a full scholarship, a gesture that I greatly appreciate. I am eagerly looking forward to the role I will undertake as a vital link between my Ministry of Health and the University of Glasgow. Together, we aim to strengthen collaborative efforts against AMR, both within the contexts of Scotland and Malawi.

Ronald Chitatanga

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Over 70 experts from 15 African Union Member States in East and Southern Africa gathered August in Nairobi, Kenya, to review and advance Antimicrobial (AMR) stewardship guidelines and AMR surveillance systems. During the workshop, they:

1. Shared best practices in implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship programs and AMR surveillance in their respective countries.
2. Identified regional priorities for Antimicrobial Stewardship and AMR Surveillance.
3. Established a regional AMR technical working group, with plans to replicate this initiative in other African regions, fostering stronger Member State relations.

Dr. Evelyn Wesangula, a Policy Human Health fellow, played a key role in organising this five-day workshop, which was hosted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kenya.

Dr. Ronald Chitatanga, an AMR Surveillance-Human Health fellow, Harry Milala, Laboratory Human fellow, both from Malawi, and Musa Sekamatte, Policy Human Health fellow from Uganda, actively contributed to the workshop, sharing their expertise and fostering valuable network collaboration opportunities.

Hosting 15 countries from Eastern and Southern Africa at the regional antimicrobial stewardship meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, was not just an event; it was a powerful testament marked by the strides countries in the region have made, re-living  our country commitments to safeguarding the future of healthcare. Together, we've sown the seeds of collaboration, shared the urgent need for domestic financing, harnessed the rich experiences across countries, provided a platform for knowledge exchange, and a shared determination to combat antimicrobial resistance within our spaces with limited resources in implementing National Action Plans on AMS. This indeed was a beacon of hope in our collective mission to preserve the efficacy of antibiotics for generations to come

Dr Evelyn Wesangula