February 2025: We were delighted to host Fleming Fund fellows from Uganda, Kenya and Malawi in Edinburgh for 2 weeks of intensive meetings, training and laboratory visits at the end of January 2025. The multilateral relationships made and fostered through these fellowship activities will be key to the long-term sustainability and impact of the Fleming Fund. The fellowships provide unique opportunities for fellows to forge links across the Southern and Eastern Africa region, and to gain insight and encouragement from colleagues with similar problems in similar contexts. Symposium showcase A particular highlight of the visit to Edinburgh was the symposium held at the end of the first week. The event provided wide opportunity for networking and engagement - each fellowship cohort highlighted the AMR challenges faced in their own countries, and the ongoing work to address them – from building reliable and robust datasets to evidence led-policy and practice, community and stakeholder engagement. We were also joined by a number of external speakers – Alison Prendiville (University of the Arts London), Jonathan Edgeworth (VP Medical Affairs, Oxford Nanopore Technologies) Sharon Pfleger (NHS Highland), Macaulay Jones (World Farming Organisation) and Gabriele Pedone (bioMérieux ) – who shared insights from across the One Health spectrum. We were delighted that Eileen Chappell, the fellowship coordinator from the Fleming Fund management agents Mott MacDonald, was able to attend, and to hear first hand from the fellows about their experiences. Training and lab insights Over the course of the two weeks the fellows joined sessions in data analysis, implementation research and communication and advocacy. The policy fellows spent one morning with the senior AMR policy team from the Scottish Government and met with the Scotland-Malawi Partnership. All fellows spent a day with the antimicrobial stewardship and microbiology teams at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and toured the University of Edinburgh dairy farm at Langhill to observe veterinary practice; they also visited the point-of-care diagnostics lab with Till Bachmann at the Institute for Regeneration and Repair, and the microbiology lab at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. The Fleming Fund Policy Fellowship, aimed at strengthening evidence-based decision-making and advocacy for AMR policy, is equipping me with the skills necessary to develop data-driven and informed policies. I believe community engagement and multi-sectoral collaboration are key to implementing effective interventions so that 'we fight better together'. To ensure the sustainable success and impact of these interventions, long-term funding for AMR is critical. Upile Kachepa Animal Health Policy Fellow, Malawi Continued implementation and project work The fellows have now returned to their respective countries to continue further work-place based training. Each cohort is also implementing a collaborative project that addresses a country-focussed problem, with partnership-working further strengthening their professional networks. They will carry with them many memories, including the blue skies of Edinburgh on the Royal Mile, meeting Dolly the Sheep at the National Museum of Scotland, and the closing ceilidh at Pollock Halls!The Fleming Fund is supported by the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care, and the fellowship programme runs until the end of December 2025. The University of Edinburgh fellowship managment team is led Till Bachmann, Adrian Muwonge and Stella Mazeri, and supported by Den Barrault, Romana Gorjanc, Frano Loots and Hilary Snaith. Related links Fleming Fund Fellowships at the University of EdinburghStrengthening networks and building sustainable partnershipsRoslin InstituteRoyal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesInstitute of Regeneration and RepairTill BachmannAdrian MuwongeStella MazeriThe Fleming Fund This article was published on 2025-02-18
