The Executive Director, Dr Andrew Kambugu and Dr Mohammed Lamorde head of the Global Health Security programme met with the Hon. State Minister for Animal Husbandry Bright Rwamirana and the Permanent Secretary Mr Pius Wakabi Kasaija at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries offices in Entebbe. This meeting was held to address contributions by the project through the Fleming Fund Country Grant towards the Ministry specifically in fighting Antimicrobial Resistance in Uganda and also visit the NADDEC facilities supported by the project.

The Fleming Fund has a major aim of supporting of antimicrobial resistance surveillance systems including enhancing the diagnostic capacities and data reporting in low- and middle-income countries. The IDI led consortium includes College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB), Pharmacy Department, Department of Medical Microbiology from Makerere University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology Department of Medical Microbiology.

A project motor vehicle was handed over to NADDEC to offer full-time support to the sample transportation at the microbiology laboratory and AMR National Coordinating Centre. A tour was held at the NADDEC National Veterinary Microbiology Reference Laboratory which is currently supported by the Fleming Fund Country Grant through Mott MacDonald as the management agent. The Laboratory is undergoing renovation to improve the working environment for microbiology and enforce international biosafety standards. State of the art equipment has also been installed i.e. MALDI Tof and BD Phoenix M50 to support real-time bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

The project has made contributions towards AMR in the country and these include the finalization, launch and dissemination of the National Action Plan for AMR, establishment of the Animal Health AMR National Coordinating Centre, development of national AMR ad AMUC surveillance plans and protocols and conducting AMR surveys. It has supported the equipping of 10 laboratories in the human and animal health sectors which have consequently contributed to the data generation, analysis and reporting at the national and international level.
The Global Health Security Team has continuously worked diligently through this project to improve AMR surveillance and promote data sharing to inform policy. To emphasize One Health, building capacity is essential to prepare for any future drug-resistant infections outbreaks across the animal health, human health and environment.
Also in attendance was the commissioner, senior veterinary officers, deputy principal CoVAB and the IDI Fleming Fund team.

By Nakitandwe Rebecca Melisa