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Commonwealth Partnership for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS)

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Overview

This project is a collaboration between the NTU - Makerere University Partnership with a range of multi-disciplinary collaborators in the UK and Uganda as listed above. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious and escalating problem globally, with detrimental impacts on health and wellbeing especially in low resource regions.

The purpose of this project is to reduce AMR emergence and spread by strengthening infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship in Wakiso district, Uganda, with a focus on capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge exchange, as well as advancing education through teaching and research.

The project uses a One Health approach which emphasizes collaboration between human and animal health as well as the environment. Consequently, we work with a range of collaborators to support our work.

Key Themes of our Global Health Work:

  • Inequalities & social justice; gender; social enterprise​
  • Ecological thinking ​
  • Moving health systems up stream – health promotion comprehensive primary health care ; social model of health​
  • Working at the boundaries – visible /invisible; formal /informal: Challenging the power structures; valuing different forms of knowledge​
  • Research with impact; that makes a difference​
  • Partnership leadership investment ​

Activity

July 2024: UK VISIT

NTU in collaboration with Buckinghamshire NHS Health Care Trust and Nottingham University Hospitals hosted a delegation of seven Ugandan colleagues in the UK, as part of CwPAMS​.

The three-week visit included activities such as grant writing, conference presentations, and meetings with institutional colleagues and future partners.

Find out more:

Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham University Hospitals, & Buckinghamshire NHS Health Care Trust host Uganda delegation in the UK

June 2024: Uganda

More than 50 health managers from Wakiso District in Central Uganda obtained invaluable skills from a three-day transformative workshop training in leadership and management through a project titled "Strengthening leadership and management competencies among local government health managers in Wakiso District" in an effort to improve healthcare service delivery in Uganda.

Find out more:

Strengthening leadership and management competencies among local government health managers in Wakiso District - July 2024

Grants and Funding

CwPAMS2 Extension

Centre of Excellence on antimicrobial stewardship in Central Uganda. Makerere University School Public Health were co-applicants to the Funding Body. Status: Project phase – 2.

International Partnership Fund

NTU Internal Fund to support existing research partnerships for mobility and knowledge production with MakSPH.

The Global Capacity Building Programme (GCBP): ''Strengthening leadership and management among local government health managers in Wakiso district, Uganda.”

Funding Body: Global Health Partnerships – GHP (formerly Tropical Health and Education Trust - THET).

Programme aims

CwPAMS program funds health partnerships between UK & eight African countries including Uganda.

The CwPAMS program aims are as follows:

  • Improving antimicrobial stewardship, including surveillance​.
  • Building antimicrobial pharmacy expertise and capacity​.
  • Enhancing infection prevention and control​.
  • Improving the use of clinical microbiology and antimicrobial prescribing data to inform clinical decisions​.
  • Enhancing the detection and reporting of substandard and falsified antimicrobial medicines​.
  • Supporting community pharmacy.

The key achievements so far are​:

  • Improved knowledge and skills among health workers: 7 NHS staff; Over 500 human and animal health professionals, over 900 community health workers, also laboratory staff & private pharmacy staff & students​.
  • ​Mentorship.
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) committees, Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) action plans.
  • Global Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance (GLOBAL-PPS) established at 8 health facilities in Central Uganda​.
  • Established online community of practice with membership over 700​.
  • ​Collaborative research & dissemination on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS).

Methodological approach

Using a One Health approach, we aim to raise awareness about Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and provide training for human health practitioners, community health workers, animal health workers, university students, and primary school learners on antimicrobial stewardship.

We have collected data on antimicrobial prescribing practices at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital and conducted community surveys on access to and use of antimicrobials in both humans and animals.

To date, our partnership achieved the following:

  • Organised training on antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial stewardship, and infection prevention control for 131 human health practitioners (including community pharmacy staff), 37 animal health practitioners, and 472 community health workers.
  • Conducted sensitisation sessions for more than 300 pupils from primary schools in Uganda and the UK.

The CwPAMS project has improved knowledge on antimicrobial resistance and enhanced practices in infection prevention and antimicrobial use among human and animal health practitioners, community pharmacy staff, and community health workers.

This improvement follows training on antimicrobial stewardship, antimicrobial resistance, and infection prevention and control. It has led to improved antimicrobial stewardship at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital through the establishment of a ‘Medicines and Therapeutics Committee’ and related activities. Additionally, it has increased the sharing of resources and opportunities on Antimicrobial Stewardship and Antimicrobial Resistance through two established online communities of practice, catering to both students and health practitioners.

This project has also facilitated the development of draft Antimicrobial Stewardship action plans at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital and five lower-level health facilities. Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital pharmacists have undergone Global Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance (GLOBAL-PPS) data collection training. Furthermore, there has been increased awareness among students regarding Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Infection Prevention and Control through sensitisation sessions conducted in schools.

Our successes have been presented in various webinars, including those organized by the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association, THET, and the Uganda National One Health Technical Working Quarterly Meetings.

Partners and collaborators

Funders

Partners

Collaborators

Team members

Research team

NTU-MAK Partnerships Leads

Research publications

2023

2021

2020

Related resources