The World Health Organization (WHO) rates antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the top 10 global public health challenges today. The USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) program joins the world in marking World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) from November 18-24, 2020. WAAW aims to increase awareness of antimicrobial resistance and to encourage best practices to curb the spread of drug-resistant infections.
The Role of USAID MTaPS
The USAID MTaPS program is mandated to support the Global Health Security Agenda’s (GHSA) goal of globally combating antimicrobial resistance. MTaPS is assisting low- and middle-income countries operationalize their national action plans for antimicrobial resistance containment while sustainably improving their global scores per WHO’s Joint External Evaluation tool (JEE 2.0). The support advances countries toward their national antimicrobial resistance goals and contributes to the objectives in the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance to ensure treatment and prevention of infectious diseases with responsible use of quality-assured, safe, and effective medicines. See MTaPS’ GHSA flyer
MTaPS uses a system-strengthening approach to design country support plans. To underpin its strategy, MTaPS collaborated with Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children to measure the national antimicrobial consumption in Tanzania – a first-of-its-kind study published from the sub-Saharan Africa region with key findings.
"Containing the multifaceted problem of antimicrobial resistance requires multisectoral and multipronged efforts, including strengthening of pharmaceutical systems and infection prevention and control practices,” says Dr. Mohan P. Joshi, technical lead for GHSA/AMR activities, USAID MTaPS.
MTaPS Strategy and Activities in 11 Countries
MTaPS' GHSA countries: Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda (Newly added countries: Mozambique and Nigeria)
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)
MTaPS uses a robust action plan of infection prevention and control assessments, tailored infection prevention and control programs, training, and continuous measurement and improvement across the national and health care facility levels.
In Mali, MTaPS worked with drug and therapeutics committee members from human and animal health sectors to develop an infection prevention and control curriculum to train infection prevention and control champions and adapt it to e-learning for national capacity building. Read more
MTaPS’ on-ground infection prevention and control activities in its GHSA-supported countries provided crucial building blocks for rapidly mobilizing action plans in 13 countries to support USAID’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS)
With MTaPS' support, countries are implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs at the national and health care facility levels and building their capacities to optimize the use of antimicrobial medicines.
In Kenya, introducing stewardship programs at 16 health care facilities is advancing the country's fight against antimicrobial resistance. Read more
Multisectoral Coordination (MSC)
MTaPS applies the One Health approach, with multisectoral coordination at its core, enabling the infrastructure and mechanisms needed to holistically build countries' capacities to implement interventions, such as infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship programs.
Uganda broke new ground with MTaPS' support by developing the essential veterinary medicines list and guidelines for infection prevention and control and the use of antimicrobials for the animal sector. Read more
Toward Sustainable Gains: A Sampling of Four Effective Interventions
1. IPC Continuous Quality Improvement Programs
A newly launched IPC Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Program in Kenya is enabling health workers to stay updated on IPC practices by identifying and building the capacity of CQI champions at health facilities to assess progress, set targets, and make targeted plans for improvements according to national IPC objectives.
2. Building Country Ownership
In Tanzania, MTaPS is implementing a six-point plan from the national to the health care facility level. With strategies like establishing infection control committees (ICCs) and monitoring systems at health facilities, these activities are sustainably moving the country closer to its IPC goals.
3. Awareness and Civil Society Engagement
Orienting media professionals on antimicrobial resistance-related issues in the country can have a wide-reaching impact, as evidenced by Ethiopia.
4. Effective Multisectoral Coordination Mechanisms
Côte d'Ivoire, with MTaPS' support, embedded a national Multisectoral Technical Committee on Antimicrobial Stewardship in its AMR strategy, to optimize use of antimicrobials in the human, animal, and environmental sectors. Watch the video below to hear Côte d'Ivoire's experience.
GHSA Resources Developed by MTaPS
About USAID MTaPS: The USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program enables low- and middle-income countries to strengthen their pharmaceutical systems, which is pivotal to better health outcomes and higher-performing health systems. The program is implemented by a consortium of global and local partners, led by Management Sciences for Health (MSH), a global health nonprofit. Visit www.mtapsprogram.org to learn more. Contact: info@mtapsprogram.org
This page is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) contract no. 7200AA18C00074. The contents are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.