By Mekonnen Teshome (Addis Ababa)
Nowadays, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is one of the major global health challenges, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Initiatives that promote appropriate antibiotic use such as antimicrobial stewardship are among global health strategies adopted by the World Health Organization to contain threats posed by AMR. Unfortunately, African countries are at best left behind in the process of developing antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP).
Moreover, AMR control in Africa is hampered by a lack of laboratory capacity, poor surveillance, insufficient data collection and analysis and the like. Several initiatives and programs, including the World Health Organization’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have been established to strengthen AMR surveillance in Africa and globally. But, still AMR continues as a major global health challenge and it is disproportionately affecting Africa.
To this end, Africa CDC releases Africa’s Landmark report on AMR at its headquarters in Addis Ababa and we approached Mr. Nqobile Ndlovu, CEO of the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) to give us his reflections on the role of laboratories in controlling AMR: Excerpts :-
Can you tell us the role of laboratories in controlling AMR?
When we are talking about Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), as the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), we understand that the problem has become a global problem and it constitutes amongst the top 10 global public health challenges in the continent.
Therefore, we have to understand what the problem of Antimicrobial Resistance is first through testing and diagnostics of the pathogens that cause the diseases.
We apply laboratory techniques and technologies to determine either a pathogen is sensitive or not to a medicine and can be treated or not with available medicines.
Therefore, with laboratory diagnostics and laboratory services, we provide evidences vital to control AMR.
What are the activities undertaken by ASLM to help laboratories achieve these objectives?
Our society is making efforts to help African nations to have adequate number of medical laboratories and we need to make sure that they have also the capacity and the laboratories should be available to actually provide.
The laboratories have to provide data, build the evidence that can inform policies that are needed to control AMR.
We need to make sure that we are strengthening laboratory networks in the continent so that they have the capacity to actually detect photogenes and whether they can be treated or not. Moreover, we have to train the medical laboratory workforce in the continent so that they understand how to respond at program levels.
We envision realizing a healthy Africa through access to quality laboratory services and diagnostics.
What are the challenges of medical laboratories in the fight against AMR?
When it comes to challenges, first and for most we do not have enough laboratories that have the capacity to effectively test in Africa and this is a major problem related to capacity in the continent.
Recently, we managed to do a survey in 14 countries, and the data tells us that only around 1.3. per cent of the laboratories have the capacity to effectively test.
Therefore, as it is the biggest challenge in curbing the problem , laboratory diagnostics information is key to controlling AMR .
Having the right number of laboratories, doing AMR testing and managing data are other challenges. We can also ask, is the information that we are generating is being used? We can test, we can have the information in the laboratories, in the shelf, in the computers, but the information are not being used to inform decision making and policies.
What are the solutions?
This is the reason why we are here, attending the Africa CDC Africa’s Landmark report on AMR, to have a common voice, as a continent, bringing all the member states.
We are here to share our aspirations, to discuss our challenges and also solutions to actually address some of these challenges that we are facing as a continent and I think to moving forward.
Now, we will need political commitment to address the issue, we need investments in building capacities in the continent. As far as AMR is concerned capacity building is key.
Of course, taking the “One health approach” into consideration and coordinate all of the different sectors is also vital in this regard.
African countries are committed to contribute their level best.We have got a good number of AU member states that are represented here and the AMR landmark report itself is actually the reflection of the commitment. Basically, we are coming together that we have this unified common voice as the African continent.
We need to continue pressing forward with specific action items that can drive that investment should be going. The landmark report is the result of the consultations that have been happening amongst many African countries.