March 31, 2022

 

Roslin: Partnership aims to tackle antimicrobial resistance

 

African fellows' recent visit to the Roslin Institute in the United Kingdom has created an opportunity for training, mentorship and strengthening collaboration, the institute said.

 

One-health professionals, including doctors, vets, pharmacists and microbiologists from Malawi, Uganda and Kenya were at the Roslin Institute, where they presented their work, took part in collaborative projects and learned about Roslin's antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research and infrastructure.

 

The group are all fellows of the Fleming Fund, which aims to support low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the fight against AMR. They are supported by the University of Edinburgh as a host institution for the capacity building component of the fellowship scheme.

 

Their visit, which also included a tour of research facilities, was an opportunity for the fellows to receive technical training from expert mentors from across the university in a range of scientific topics, such as bioinformatics, microbiology and communication.

 

The Fleming Fellowship Scheme, which is administered by the United Kingdom's Department of Health and Social Care, aims to train practitioners in collection and analysis of high quality AMR surveillance data and generate information that can be used to guide policy development and implementation.

 

Fellows will form a global network of AMR experts and advocate for action in their home countries, such as improved AMR surveillance and responsible use of antibiotics.

 

"We are delighted for the chance to contribute to the global challenge of AMR and hope the partnerships and friendships established through the Fleming Fellowship Scheme will open doors to long-term collaboration," said Professor Ross Fitzgerald, programme lead of Edinburgh Fleming Fellows.

 

"The visit was of great value to me. It gave me enormous exposure to small and large animal clinical practice, laboratory diagnostics and regulatory framework for AMR, the One Health approach in Scotland, science communication principles and the probable future collaborations that may arise between the fellows and the team at the Roslin institute," said Dr. Israel Mugezi, Fleming Fellow and veterinary inspector at Uganda's Department of Animal Health at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal industry and Fisheries.

 

"Back in my country, I can now ably communicate pitched AMR messages to different stakeholders and guide other colleagues on how to communicate science. My capacity in data analysis and drawing interactive maps using R-software which has been built will shape the quarterly bulletin graphics for the National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiology Center.

 

"Together with other Ugandan fellows, we shall analyse the data that was collected by the previous cohort of fellows and use the results to inform policy and planning, including the National Action Plan for Health Security."

 

- Roslin Institute