Upcoming ReAct Africa Conference: What is the status of the NAPs on AMR in the African region?

2020-11-16

ReAct Africa and South Centre will host this year’s annual conference virtually as a result of COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings and travel. The conference will be held from 1-4 December under the theme, “What is the status of the Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plans in the African Region?”

For most African countries, National Action Plans on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAPs on AMR) were developed in 2017. Almost 3 years into the process, implementation for some countries continues to be a challenge. The objective of the conference is to establish what progress has been made in specific countries and will serve as a platform to share best practices and lessons learnt. This will be accomplished through presentations from ten selected countries; five anglophone, five francophone. This conference will also host round table discussions with the regional Tripartite Plus (OIE, WHO-AFRO, FAO, UNEP) and funders such as, ICARS, Wellcome Trust, Fleming Fund, and The World Bank among other intergovernmental organizations.

Bringing stakeholders from across the globe together

The conference is expected to bring together AMR experts, civil society organisations, academia, government ministries and research institutions to discuss regional progress, challenges, approaches and next steps in addressing antimicrobial resistance. Participation from around the world is expected as the invitation to attend is open to all. The conference will be held 1-4 December 13:00 -15:30 hrs CAT.

The specific country presentations will provide a forum for participants to network and enhance north to south, south to north and south to south exchanges. The conference will provide participants with global governance updates surrounding antimicrobial resistance, as addressing antimicrobial resistance requires global coordination and collaboration.

2019 conference: 120 participants from 33 countries

The 2019 conference held under the theme “Achieving Universal Health Coverage while addressing Antimicrobial Resistance” had over 120 multi-sector participants from 33 countries. The three day event covered a variety of topics in the context of AMR and efforts towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage. In regards to the National Action Plans on AMR, the conference revealed that a number of African countries were making progress in the development and implementation process. However, it also highlighted the need to offer technical and financial support to countries in their NAP implementation efforts.