NHS staff are being invited to apply for a new scheme to
help tackle superbugs abroad.
The Commonwealth Partnerships
for Antimicrobial Stewardship scheme will send 12
teams of NHS staff to work with local health workers
overseas in the fight against antimicrobial resistance
(AMR).
The teams will be made up of NHS pharmacists, doctors,
specialist nurses and other healthcare workers who will
work with partners in:
- Ghana
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zambia
AMR is a
natural occurrence, however, the rate at
which AMR is occurring is
increasing due to overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Misuse
of antibiotics can jeopardise the safety of routine
operations and threaten modern medicine.
To tackle this threat, the use of antibiotics needs to be
optimised through antimicrobial stewardship. The role of
pharmacists, doctors and specialist nurses is key to
ensuring antibiotics are used effectively.
The government is inviting multi-disciplinary teams to
apply for a grant of up to £75,000 to deliver a partnership
project with a health institution in one of the partner
countries.
Projects should aim to improve antimicrobial stewardship
and support the development of policy and practice for the
use of antibiotics in the partner country.
Interested applicants can learn more about the scheme
at launch events taking place
across the country.
The events will introduce the scheme, outline the
application process and share good practice for project
planning. Events will take place in:
This scheme is funded by the Department of Health and
Social Care’s Fleming Fund and will be delivered by the
Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) and the
Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA).
The Fleming Fund is a £265 million UK Aid fund that seeks
to enhance AMRsurveillance in low-
and middle-income countries across sub-Saharan Africa and
south-east Asia.
Chief Medical Officer for England, , said:
I am delighted that UK aid – provided through the
government’s Fleming Fund – will enable these vital
partnerships between our fantastic NHS staff and their
counterparts overseas to take place.
AMR poses a risk
to us all, wherever we call home – collaboration of this
kind with our friends and neighbours internationally will
be all the more important if we are to tackle this
challenge together.
This scheme will play a crucial role in allowing
specialists to share expertise and strengthen approaches
to antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals both at home
and abroad.
