June 2019: University of Edinburgh is hosting six fellows from Uganda to study AMR surveillance in human and animals. The Fleming Fund is funded by the UK government to give support to low and middle income countries addressing AMR. As part of this work, the Fleming Fund is funding a range of initiatives in low and middle income countries with the aim of increasing the quantity and quality of data available to allow better understand the scale and scope of AMR. The aim is to get data relevant to AMR in the hands of decision makers to inform policies and practices which will optimise the use of antimicrobial medicines. Fleming Fund Fellowship Scheme The Fleming Fund is now providing funds to support short term fellowships for researchers from 24 LMIC countries. Six countries from each four global regions - Eastern Southern Africa, West Africa, South Asia and South East Asia - are participating in this scheme. 4 - 8 fellows from each selected country will be partnered with mentors in a host institution to carry out a 18-24 month fellowship in AMR surveillance. The aim is to train a cohort of fellows who are a global network of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) experts and advocates for action in their own countries. Image Five of the six Fleming Fellows in Uganda: (L to R) Ibrahim Mugerwa, William Olum, Joel Bazira, Michael Omodo and Merab Acham Host Institution for Fleming Fellows from Uganda As part of this scheme the University of Edinburgh has been selected as a Host Institution for Fleming Fund fellows from Uganda. The Edinburgh mentors, fellows and representatives from the fellows' home institutions met at a workshop in Kampala in January 2019 to develop the work plans for the fellowships. The fellows travelled to Edinburgh in June 2019 to continue working with their academic mentors, before returning to their home institutions to implement new techniques and approaches for effective data collection and analysis for AMR. Uganda Fleming Fellowships in AMR surveillance at the University of Edinburgh The Edinburgh mentors will continue to input into the new projects, giving fellows practical on-the-ground support and contributing to training and capacity building in Uganda. Each fellow is supported by £80K over the course of their fellowship. Image The Fleming Fund fellows, representatives from beneficiary institutions and visitors from the University of Edinburgh in Kampala, January 2019. Edinburgh fellowship team In Edinburgh, the scheme is being directed by Ross Fitzgerald (head of Edinburgh Infectious Diseases), with Adrian Muwonge as co-director. The academic mentors are: Mark Bronsvoort - Roslin Institute Adrian Muwonge - Roslin Institute Gavin Paterson - Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Thibaud Porphyre - Roslin Institute Kate Templeton - DIvision of Infection and Pathway Medicine Mark Woolhouse - Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics Related Links Fleming Fund Fleming Fund Fellowship scheme Professor Ross Fitzgerald Publication date 01 Jun, 2022
