September 2022: Several Fleming Fund fellows from Malawi, Kenya, and Uganda participated in a workshop on AMU policy and practice organised by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Infectious Disease Institute in Kampala, Uganda. Nine of the professional and policy fellows supported by the University of Edinburgh attended the workshop at the Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University in Kampala at the end of August 2022. They joined with fellows from Ghana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Zambia, for this three-day meeting, to share experience and expertise from across the African region. Shared experience and insight The goal of the event was to provide a platform for fellows to discuss implementation of their individual projects and how this work has contributed to antibiotic surveillance in their countries. It also aimed to identify common opportunities that can be leveraged to accelerate implementation and achieve the goals of National Action Plans for AMR and global targets. Image Fleming fund fellows from Uganda, Kenya and Malawi together with other participants of the workshop on antibiotic use and consumption in front of the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, Uganda This workshop provided an opportunity for fellows to discuss the operational side of antibiotic surveillance beyond AMC and hospitals, in both humans and animals. Participants shared experiences and ideas to discuss how to optimise efforts to obtain accurate data with limited resources. The insights gained from the experiences of other Fleming fellows in attendance will help inform recommendations for approaches to AMU/C surveillance in their countries. The IDI meeting gave us the opportunity to learn more about different activities of AMU /C in our respective countries, share experiences and develop strategies. We also had the opportunity to interact with the WOAH Regional Representative for East Africa, who shared their experiences with reporting on AMU. Therefore, further regional reviews are needed to assess progress on AMU and support each other in implementing activities on AMU. Mike LuweAMU/C Surveillance Animal Health fellow, Animal Health Officer at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Malawi Image Seated: Ronald Chitatanga, L to R first row: Evelyn Wesangula, Israel Mugezi and Romona Ndanyi, L to R last row: Michael Kimaanga, Mike Luwe and Christopher Amandu One important lesson I learned from talking with collaborators from four different countries and researchers from three prestigious universities is that AMU surveillance is possible in each of our countries through innovative approaches, even if health systems are structured differently. The journey simply begins with creating the right system. From this workshop, I will take home the ingredients that will enable my country to start this journey well. Ronald ChitatangaAMR Surveillance Human Health fellow, Research Associate at the Antimicrobial Resistance -National Coordinating Centre (AMR-NCC), Malawi From the contributions of the speakers from the different countries, it became clear to me that the problems in implementing the AMU/C are similar, even though different countries are at different stages of implementation. Our plans as a country for progress in AMU/C animal health monitoring were presented and we received suggestions for improvement in the plenary discussion. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to provide non-monetary incentives for farmers to participate regularly in AMU/C surveillance. I very much welcomed the idea of non-monetary incentives, and we even discussed this in the Animal Health Division. We have developed a number of messages that we can deliver to farmers during their routine visits, from alternative sources of acquiring quality inputs to market access for their products. Dr Israel MugeziVeterinary Inspector in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries in Uganda, and Fleming Fund Animal Health Surveillance fellow Related Links Fleming Fund Fellowship Scheme Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Kampala Makerere Univeristy, Kampala London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine This article was published on 2024-08-28
