November 2021: Fleming Fund policy fellows played a very active role in planning and organising activities for World Antibiotic Awareness Week in Kenya. The goal of the World Helath Organisation's WAAW is to raise global awareness of AMR and encourage the citizens, health works and policy makers to use antimicrobials responsibly to prevent the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. Image Dr. Romona Ndanyi, Fleming Fund Policy fellow in Animal Health, presenting this year's achievements in the fight against AMR/AMU. Spread awareness, stop resistance Kenya celebrated this year's World Antibiotic Awareness Week (WAAW) under the theme "Spread awareness, stop resistance". A wide range of activities called on One Health stakeholders, policy makers, health care providers and the general public, to advocate for antibiotic resistance. Events included both in-person and virtual platforms that attracted a wide range of participants from the government and private sectors, academia, the pharmaceutical industry, development partners, NGOs, and researchers. Fleming Fund Policy Fellows Dr. Evelyn Wesangula (AMR Focal Person, Ministry of Health) and Dr. Romona Ndanyi (Veterinarian at Central Veterinary Laboratories, Kabete in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives) were actively involved in planning and organising the WAAW 2021 activities. National Scientific Symposium The first two days of the WAAW were dedicated to the National Scientific Symposium, which was opened by Dr. Evelyn Wesangula and attended by over 180 participants from various ministries, strategic partners, governments, academic institutions, research organisations and students. Dr. Romona Ndanyi presented this year's achievements in the fight against AMR/AMU, including development of guidelines for AMR surveillance, establishment of national reference centres for AMR and an integrated information management system for AMR in human and food-producing animal health, creation of a national public health laboratory network was created, and development of an IT platform to improve the sharing and dissemination of data on AMR among stakeholders. In addition, several key guidance documents were published in 2021: National Integrated Antimicrobial Stewardship Plan 2021, AMR NAP M&E Framework 2021, Clinicians Handbook on Diagnostic Stewardship 2021, IPC policy and Strategic Plan 2021, and Bacterial Isolate Referral Guide 2021. Reaching wider audiences On the third day of WAAW, a youth awareness event was organised for students in Mombasa and Nairobi counties. Students from Nairobi supported the activity with a walk and banners to educate the public on the importance of AMR. A particular focus of the WAAW 2021 celebrations was to deliver activities to public audiences across Kenya to help bring wider awareness of the challenges posed by AMR. In addition to events in Nairobi, public engagement events on best practice for use of antimicrobials were held Bungoma, Trans Nzoia, Nyeri, Kilifi, Makueni, Machakos and Murang'a counties. Image Dr. Evelyn Wesangula (first from right) with the members of the AMR Secretariat. Related links Fleming Fund Fellowship Scheme Edinburgh AMR Forum This article was published on 2024-06-20
