A Research Established To Address Antimicrobial Resistance

Global research consortium is being set up to address the international impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Significantly, the Centres for Antimicrobial Optimisation Network- CAMO-Net brings together research team from South Africa’s University of Cape Town, the University of Liverpool as well as Imperial College, London, the Ugandan Infectious Disease Institute, as well as the faculty of medicine at Brazil’s University of Sao Paulo.

CAMO-Net looks to optimise antimicrobial usage in humans by way of a sustainable global research spectrum that is developed across low, middle, and high resource settings throughout the rural as well as urban landscape. The University of Liverpool’s Professor Alison Holmes and Imperial College London in the UK declared that not only is this network going to provide a one-off unique opportunity so as to advance the multidisciplinary research to improve as well as sustain access to antimicrobial treatments that are effective and also address AMR, it has also shared the global learning embedded within it and also goes on to represent a significant commitment when it comes to research models that are more equitable.

Researchers will work towards building knowledge when it comes to optimal antibiotic usage, enhanced access to treatment that’s effective, and better prevention and treatment of bacterial infections. This initiative will help enhance clinical decision-making when it comes to antimicrobial usage and also help prescribers, policymakers, and users with practises and guidelines.

The Executive Director, Infectious Disease Institute in Uganda, called the country’s engagement in the CAMO-Net pathbreaking and an opportunity to generate research so as to help in overcoming AMR across the region.

The consortium’s main operations will be spread across regions that have a very high burden of drug-resistant infections while also making use of a multi-sectoral and system-based approach to enhancing antimicrobial usage. CAMO-Net is going to work with its collaborators in order to research how to actionably enhance antimicrobial use in humans via three inter-linked themes that are identified via the Wellcome-commisioned roadmap.

The four sites constitute national hubs that are responsible for driving the research and spearheading the global network. Each hub happens to have specific as well as complementary research expertise and shall go on to receive exclusive funding with awards, thereby linking directly with that of the other three countries.

The objective is to improve research equity by ensuring local leadership and encouraging joint ownership within the programmes. These constituents happen to be forming the core value of the consortium in sync with knowledge mobilisation, mutually beneficial cross-regional learning, and output sharing. The network looks to build a complete contextual understanding when it comes to situational data across each national hub so as to pinpoint opportunities and also address challenges as well as gaps.

CAMO-Net will also include 3 shadow national sites that will go on to participate in network activities and also build a project that happens to be a part of a larger CAMO-Net programme.