Malawi has partnered bioMérieux and Pfizer to stem cases of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the country.
A statement made available to The Daily Times indicates that the collaboration will build public sector antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) capacity in infection prevention and control, diagnostics, surveillance and guide the appropriate use of antibiotics.
AMR is one of the biggest threats to global health and is estimated to be responsible for 1.27 million deaths per year.
Reports indicate that, in 2019 alone, an estimated 60,000 people died from sepsis in Malawi, of which approximately 19,000 deaths were a result of bacterial AMR.
“Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health crisis that requires urgent action to help protect the health and wellbeing of the people of Malawi,” the statement quotes Head of Antimicrobial Resistance Coordinating Centre in Malawi, Dr Collins Mitambo, as saying.
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Mitambo said the collaboration is part of efforts to align with the Malawi National Action Plan, apart from building on existing programmes to turn the tide against antimicrobial resistance in the country.
Through the partnership, bioMérieux will equip laboratories with a suite of new diagnostic and surveillance tools to help healthcare providers improve on patient care while helping the Ministry of Health to analyse pathogens and susceptibility to antibiotics.
“Key to this effort are digital solutions which focus on enhancing diagnostic capabilities and developing robust information technology infrastructure,” Mitambo says.
The initiative will also support the development of facility-specific antibiograms, starting with the four central hospitals of Kamuzu, Mzuzu, Queen Elizabeth and Zomba.
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“We’ve been working on AMR with the Ministry of Health since 2019 through the Fleming Fund Programme. This new collaboration, which includes Pfizer, marks a significant and innovative collaboration, demonstrating our dedication to combating AMR,” bioMérieux’s Senior Director of Global Health Michel Bonnier says.
Pfizer has, on the other hand, provided a financial grant to the University of North Carolina Project in Malawi to aid in technical assistance and training for officials from the Ministry of Health and the four central hospitals.
The technical assistance will enable AMS committees at each hospital to build microbiology and surveillance capacity and improve pharmacy prescribing patterns.
“This collaboration is, therefore, part of Pfizer’s commitment through An Accord for a Healthier World to help build health system capacity, expand access to quality care and address the health equity gap,” says Elif Aral, Pfizer’s Access and Accord Commercial Lead for Emerging Markets.
Antibiotics are a cornerstone of modern medicine, yet only less than 2 percent of the 50,000 medical laboratories in 14 African countries, including Malawi, currently conduct bacteriology testing.
In Malawi, most antibiotic prescribing is done without a diagnostic result due to limited sampling, inadequate human resources and manual testing methods, among other factors.
