NCDC and partners launch the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS 2) programme in Nigeria.

Monday, June 12, 2023

12 June 2023 | Abuja - NCDC and partners launch the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS 2) programme in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) in collaboration with the Commonwealth Pharmacist’s Association (CPA) and the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) officially launched a new round of grants as part of the second phase of the £4.6 million Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS 2) programme funded by the United Kingdom (UK) government’s Fleming Fund.

This new round will fund Health Partnership projects that leverage the expertise of UK health institutions and technical experts to strengthen the capacity of the national health workforce and institutions in Nigeria and seven other Commonwealth countries to address challenges in AMR while creating opportunities for bidirectional learning.

In addition to its mandate of protecting the life of Nigerians through evidence-based disease prevention, the NCDC is Nigeria’s National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) coordinating entity. AMR is an issue of great global and national concern and by 2050, current predictions are that $100 trillion could be lost in economic activity with up to 10 million deaths annually all due to AMR if current trends continue. AMR is a complex public health threat with root causes across multiple sectors including human health, animal husbandry, food safety, agriculture, food production, water, sanitation, and the environment. Nigeria’s One-Health National action plan on AMR provides us with the policy framework to respond to AMR through collaboration and partnerships such as the CwPAMS. These grants will focus on driving best practices in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), building pharmacy capacity and expertise, and strengthening surveillance in Nigeria. Five tertiary hospitals - Babcock University Teaching Hospital, University Teaching Hospital Enugu, University of Calabar Teach Hospital, University College Hospital Ibadan and Lagos University Teaching Hospital - were successful in the phase two grant to be implemented from this year until March 2025. The CwPAMS 2 programme is managed by the THET and the CPA.

The NCDC also wishes to offer her sincere appreciation to the CPA and THET for organizing this launch event and supporting the five hospitals to implement AMS in Nigeria. This will augment the country’s current AMS interventions across all levels of healthcare, in line with the AMR national action plan. Furthermore, we congratulate the CwPAMS grant holders for their commitment throughout the application process and hope this rare opportunity helps to improve healthcare services and reduce the emergence and spread of AMR in your facilities.

The NCDC is committed to continuing to lead and support One-Health collaboration in addressing infectious disease and AMR threat containment in Nigeria.

About The Fleming Fund

The Department of Health and Social Care's Fleming Fund is a UK aid programme supporting up to 25 countries across Africa and Asia to tackle AMR, a leading public health threat across the world. The Fleming Fund invests in strengthening data surveillance systems through a portfolio of country grants, regional grants and fellowships managed by Mott MacDonald, and global projects managed by partners.

About the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET)

The THET is a global health charity working in partnership with governments, health institutions, and international bodies to train health workers and strengthen health systems across 31 countries.

We do this through grants management and capacity building, alongside research, convening and advocacy towards the goal of Universal Health Coverage. At the centre of our approach, is the model of Health Partnerships, long-term relationships between UK and LMIC health institutions, which improve health services through the reciprocal exchange of skills, knowledge, and experience. At the heart of our work is the vision of a world where everyone has access to healthcare.

Find out more at thet.org.

About the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA)

Established in 1969, the CPA is a resource and support network for professional pharmacy associations and individual pharmacists. CPA welcomes and supports a range of other healthcare organisations from Commonwealth countries and elsewhere, as well as individual pharmacists. CPA is an accredited organisation of the Commonwealth and an active member of the Commonwealth Health Professions and Partners Alliance.

Find out more at commonwealthpharmacy.org/

About the NCDC

The NCDC is the Nigeria's national public health institute, with the mandate to lead the preparedness, detection, and response to public health emergencies and through this achieve a healthier and safe Nigeria through the prevention and control of diseases of public health importance. The Bill for an Act to establish NCDC was signed into law in November 2018, by President Muhammadu Buhari. The NCDC’s mission is 'To protect the health of Nigerians through evidence-based prevention, integrated disease surveillance and response, using a One Health approach, guided by research and led by skilled workforce'.

Contact

NCDC Toll-free Number: 6232 | SMS: 08099555577 | WhatsApp: 07087110839 Twitter: @NCDCGov | Facebook: @NCDCgov | Instagram: @NCDCgov | NCDC Media Releases

Signed:

Dr Ifedayo Adetifa

Director General

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention

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