£5 million given to AMR research partnerships between UK and Argentina

The funding will go to 5 research partnerships between the UK and Argentina.

It has been awarded through the Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF) and will be matched in staff and lab resources by the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) in Argentina.

British and Argentinian researchers are launching the ‘Tools to tackle AMR in the environment’ programme in Buenos Aires this week.

The partnerships receiving the award are:

• William Gaze (University of Exeter) and Alejandro Petroni (Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud “Dr Carlos G Malbrán”) to develop a conceptual framework to improve understanding of AMR in livestock systems for translation into policy and practice
• Helen West (University of Nottingham) and Sonia Gómez (Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud “Dr Carlos G Malbrán”) to develop best practice for waste management in commercial chicken farms in Argentina to manage AMR
• Dominic Moran (University of Edinburgh) and Mariano Fernandez Miykawa (Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria) to understand and quantify the environmental and economic impacts of antimicrobial use in chicken supply chains and design interventions that are cost-effective for producers
• Peers Davies (University of Liverpool) and Sergio Sanchez-Bruni (Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil) to develop an antimicrobial surveillance framework for the Argentinian beef industry to understand how antimicrobial usage and farming practices impact the environment
• Kirsten Reyher (University of Bristol) and Rodolfo Luzbel de la Sota (Universidad Nacional de La Plata) to investigate the prevalence and causes of AMR in Argentinian farming systems and the impact on the near-farm environment

The research will benefit low- and middle-income countries, which are disproportionately impacted by AMR.

The programme will be delivered on behalf of GAMRIF by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) in the UK and by CONICET in Argentina.

The use of antimicrobial drugs in livestock production is a primary contributor to the development and spread of AMR. Drug-resistant microbes can be transmitted from animals to humans via direct contact or through the food chain and the environment, which poses a potential significant threat to human health.

Mark Kent, the UK Ambassador to the Argentine Republic, said:

Today’s announcement is further evidence that the UK is committed to working with Argentina to help tackle global issues. Antimicrobial resistance is a threat which is killing hundreds of thousands of people across the world each year.

The research programme represents the best of British and Argentinian technical abilities, and will have an international impact. Tackling antimicrobial resistance is a global priority, and investigating AMR in agriculture and the environment is crucial.

This partnership is exciting, not only because it is good for UK and Argentinian science, but because the benefits could be shared with developing and emerging economies around the world.

Dr Jorge Tezon, Director of Scientific Development at CONICET, said:

High-quality research is needed to increase our ability to effectively treat bacterial infections in humans and animals. That’s why CONICET has decided to partner with DHSC, BBSRC and NERC and promote joint research projects.

At the national level, Argentina promotes interdisciplinary work with different actors focused on the concept of ‘one health’. This research programme is particularly important as it involves interaction between national stakeholders on AMR.

We also expect that this could benefit other countries and regions around the world which are disproportionately affected by AMR and help them improve food security and the associated economics.