The 2019 ReAct Africa Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which opened Tuesday in Nairobi, Kenya, will focus on ways to advance universal health coverage while combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on the continent. Some 24 African countries are taking place in the three day event co-sponsored by the United Kingdom-based Fleming Fund dedicated to supporting low- and middle- income countries to tackle AMR, along with the South Centre, Wellcome Trust, Swedish International Development Agency Sida, and others.

The conference is tackling a wide range of policy issues that affect AMR response: from preventing and managing infections with effective water and sanitation strategies, to medicines quality and regulation; and AMR in the animal and environmental sectors. The conference will also showcase models of country success as well as gaps in National Action Plans when it comes to AMR responses needed to meet the threat of bacteria, viruses and other pathogens that are increasingly resistant to medications.

“AMR is increasingly becoming one of the key global challenges and at the same time the people in the developing countries will suffer the most,” said Viviana Muñoz Tellez, Coordinator, Health, for the South Centre’s Intellectual Property Development Programme, addressing participants during the plenary session. For more about the conference, see here:

(L to R) Olga Perovic, AMR Lead, National Institute for Communicable Diseases South Africa; Laetitia Gahimbare – World Health Organization, Africa Region; Andreas Sandgren, Deputy Head of Office, Policy Advisor, ReAct Europe and Marlon Banda, Pharmaceutical Services Churches Health Association of Zambia & Board Chairman field questions during the plenary session of the ReAct Africa and South Centre Conference 2019.

Image Credits: Geoffrey Kamadi .