10 Innovate4AMR-winning teams enjoyed 3-day workshop in Geneva

2019-11-24

In its second year, Innovate4AMR has gained widespread interest from both students and professionals working in the field. Through the summer of 2019, Innovate4AMR called for student teams from all around the world for their solutions on Antimicrobial Stewardship in resource-limited settings. In the midst of World Antibiotic Awareness Week the 10 winning teams for across the globe enjoyed a 3-day capacity building workshop in Geneva, Switzerland.

Through the summer of 2019, the organizers had called for student teams from all around the world for their solutions on Antimicrobial Stewardship in resource-limited settings, with a video from WHO’s Assistant Director General, Dr Hanan Balkhy also encouraging students to apply.

Since Innovate4AMR’s inception at last year’s World Antibiotic Awareness Week workshop, I have strongly advocated that students bring their fresh perspective to drive action on antimicrobial resistance. Innovative solutions are what we need. Beyond this workshop, I hope to see these winning teams implementing their projects across the world and changing how we approach AMR globally,

says Dr Marc Sprenger, Director of Surveillance, Prevention and Control, WHO’s AMR Division.

163 submissions from 40 countries

With more than 1250 young health advocates signed up for the competition, Innovate4AMR received 163 submissions from teams in over 40 countries. After several rounds of judging, first by an IFMSA-ReAct-WHO Technical Review Panel and then by a panel of International Expert Judges, the following 10 winning teams were selected to participate at the capacity-building workshop in Geneva supported by the World Health Organization and South Centre:

Presented proposals to Expert Review Panel

Students from these teams had the opportunity to present their proposals at the capacity-building workshop during World Antibiotic Awareness Week to an Expert

Review Panel, including Karen Mah, Elizabeth Long, Kwame Boaitley, Dr Stephen Nurse-Findlay, Dr Barbara Tornimbene, and Dr Anand Balachandran.

“As medical students and future healthcare providers, IFMSA is extremely concerned about AMR, and considers it as one of its main global priorities. Today with Innovate4AMR we aim to give the chance to youth to step up and bring their ideas and solutions to the world, to empower and assist them with tools, knowledge and expertise so that they can create and apply innovative solutions in their countries and be today’s AMR champions and changemakers.”

said Saad Uakkas, Liaison Officer to Student Organizations of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations.

Knowledge from workshop to help implement projects

During the event, students attended seminars and workshops on AMR, discussed with experts how to make strategic improvements to their innovation, and recieved feedback on how best to operationalize their project. The aim is that after returning to their home countries, the teams will be equipped with the knowledge to implement their projects.

“We hope to motivate, engage and enlist the next generation of leaders in healthcare to  develop innovative, scalable approaches that address antimicrobial resistance and inquitable access to antimicrobials,”

says Anthony So, MD, MPA, Director, ReAct Strategic Policy Program and IDEA (Innovation+Design Enabling Access) Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

For more information about Innovate4AMR please contact Prateek Sharma, ReAct North America.

Innovate4AMR was organized by: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA), South Centre and ReAct. With support from the World Health Organization.