This year’s course placed particular emphasis on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), considered by WHO as “an increasingly serious threat to global public health”.
Marc Sprenger, Director of the WHO secretariat for antimicrobial resistance, presented the WHO Global action plan on AMR.
The representatives of developing countries presented their action plans to fight and monitor AMR. Initiatives to strengthen research in this area were also presented.
Launch of the Africa CDC Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network
During ACDx, Africa CDC launched its framework to fight antibiotic resistant infections, aligned with the WHO Global action plan. To implement the Framework, Africa CDC will establish the Africa CDC Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (AMRSNET). This network gathers together public health leaders, epidemiologists, laboratory policy experts and other stakeholders from human, animal and environmental health.
With this network, Africa CDC intends to tackle the threat of antibiotic resistant infections: “Within the next 5 years, AMRSNET will work to improve detection of antibiotic resistant infections in humans and animals, delay its emergence, limit transmission, and mitigate harm among patients infected. To achieve these goals, AMRSNET will advocate for policies and laws to enable long-term prevention and control and strengthen human resources capacity.”
An overview of the latest advances in the field of diagnostics
Rosanna Peeling, Professor and Chair of Diagnostics Research and Director of the International Diagnostics Centre (IDC) at the LSHTM.
ACDx, led by Rosanna Peeling, Professor and Chair of Diagnostics Research and Director of the International Diagnostics Centre (IDC) at the LSHTM, provides participants with an overview of the latest advances in the field of diagnostics.
ACDx strengthens the skills and knowledge of participants, by providing training on the role of diagnostics in global health, on diagnostic system strengthening and on quality policy in diagnostics.
The course also covers the theme of development of new diagnostic tests, showing the difficulties faced by industry, from the design process to the market introduction, and the utilization of new products.
During the course, representatives from Ministries of Health, industry and NGOs discuss how best to implement health policies in the field of diagnostics.