Ghana is among the 25 nations earmarked to receive a share of £210 million in funding from the United Kingdom Government over the next three years to combat the critical issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The UK Government intends to collaborate closely with countries in Asia and Africa in a unified effort to address antimicrobial resistance and mitigate the menace it poses to both the UK and the global community.
This funding marks the most substantial investment ever made by any nation towards global AMR surveillance.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the UK High Commission in Ghana released a statement on Wednesday, conveying this information. The statement was also shared with the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
This announcement coincides with the UK’s Health Secretary of State, Steve Barclay, traveling to India for his inaugural participation in a G20 Health Ministers’ meeting.
The financial allocation from the UK Government’s aid budget will support the endeavors of the Fleming Fund in tackling AMR across various Asian and African countries. This support aims to alleviate the threat AMR poses to these nations.
The initiative will strengthen surveillance capabilities in approximately 25 countries with the highest levels of AMR impact and concern. These include countries such as Indonesia, Ghana, Kenya, and Papua New Guinea. The plan involves upgrading over 250 laboratories, equipping them with cutting-edge facilities.
The investment will encompass novel genome sequencing technology, aiding in the monitoring of bacterial transmission among humans, animals, and the environment, as mentioned in the statement.
“It will also strengthen the international health workforce by supporting 20,000 training sessions for laboratory staff, pharmacists and hospital staff, and over 200 Fleming Fund scholarships to boost expertise in microbiology, AMR policy and One Health – which recognises the connection between humans, animals and the environment.”
The UK’s Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, was quoted as saying: “Antimicrobial resistance is a silent killer, which poses a significant threat to people’s health around the world and here in the UK, and will be an important topic here at the G20 in India.”
“It’s vital it is stopped in its tracks and this record funding will allow countries most at risk to tackle it and prevent it from taking more lives across the world, ultimately making us safer at home.”
“It also builds on work the Government is doing to incentivise drug companies to develop new antibiotics – a model which some G20 countries are looking to implement.”
Antimicrobial resistance, in which bacteria have changed so much that antibiotics and other conventional treatments are no longer effective against infections, causes around 1.27 million fatalities worldwide annually, with one in five of these deaths occurring in children under the age of five.
Between 7,000 and 35,000 deaths were attributed to AMR in the UK alone in 2019.
The UK’s Special Envoy on AMR, Dame Sally Davies, said: “I am proud and delighted that the UK’s Fleming Fund will continue to create real impact to tackle AMR and build pandemic preparedness on the ground across the world, using data to drive action and catalyse investment.”
“This world-leading investment in AMR laboratories, workforce and systems is a vital contribution to realise our vision of a world free of drug-resistant infection.”
This investment is poised to usher in the second phase of the UK-India Fleming Fund collaboration, working in conjunction with India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Valued at up to £3 million, this allocation will expedite cooperative efforts in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance across healthcare domains, aiding both nations in fulfilling their respective 2030 agendas.
As part of his official visit to India, the Secretary of State will visit India’s National Centre for Disease Control, where the Indian Government and the Fleming Fund are forging an alliance to combat antimicrobial resistance.
Additionally, he will participate in an exhibition showcasing cutting-edge health technology, featuring participants from artificial intelligence and digital health enterprises in both the UK and India. This exhibition is intended to further bolster the technological partnership, which is already revolutionizing healthcare in both nations.