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Publications by ReAct or co-authored by ReAct

J. of Law, Medi & Ethics

The Lancet Series on Antimicrobial Resistance: The need for sustainable access to effective antibiotics

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens this backbone of modern medicine and is already leading to deaths and disease which would have once been prevented. A series by The Lancet highlights AMR, the people most affected by AMR and how to rethink drug development moving forward and much more.

The Lancet Series on Antimicrobial Resistance: The need for sustainable access to effective antibiotics (May 2024).

 

Lancet Global Health

Community engagement to mitigate antimicrobial resistance in low-and middle-income countries – an essential strategy for implementation of national action plans on AMR

The article describes the vital role of a whole-of-society and one-health approach for prevention and mitigation of AMR. To ensure optimal policy implementation, community engagement should therefore be a priority for AMR action.

Community engagement to mitigate antimicrobial resistance in low-and middle-income countries (May 2024).

UNEP report

Impact of the ´Alforja Educativa' on Ecuadorian schoolchildren's knowledge of bacteria, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance, a pretest-posttest study

Educational initiatives are important as part of strategies to mitigate antibiotic resistance. The Alforja Educativa is an innovative educational program developed in Ecuador with the aim to teach schoolchildren about antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. The article evaluates the effect of the Alforja Educativa on knowledge about bacteria, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance amongst fifth and sixth grade Ecuadorian schoolchildren.

Impact of the ´Alforja Educativa’ on Ecuadorian schoolchildren’s knowledge of bacteria, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance, a pretest-posttest study(March 2024).

 

 

Lancet Global Health

The language of antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance is blocking global collective action

There are multiple gaps in the global and local responses to antibiotic resistance. One aspect causing this complacency is the language that is used to describe the problem and its consequences.This article surveys examples of the current discussions around antibiotic resistance and seek to offer a path towards a unified and understandable narrative.

The language of antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance is blocking global collective action (March 2024)

UICC report

Formulating a Community-Centric Indicator Framework to Quantify One Health Drivers of Antibiotic Resistance: A Preliminary Step towards Fostering ‘Antibiotic-Smart Communities’

The absence of objective criteria to measure the performance of ABR interventions in community settings makes it difficult to mobilize interest and investment for such interventions. The article presents a comprehensive list of indicators, developed from experiences gathered through community engagement work in Kerala, India and a consultative process with health, veterinary, environment, and development experts.

Formulating a Community-Centric Indicator Framework to Quantify One Health Drivers of Antibiotic Resistance: A Preliminary Step towards Fostering ‘Antibiotic-Smart Communities’ (January, 2024). 

Lancet Global Health

Potential role of civil society organizations in antimicrobial resistance mitigation efforts in low- and middle-income countries: A report from India

Civil society organizations (CSOs) have been successful in complementing the efforts of government health systems, shaping various public health programs, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This article reports the outcomes of a CSO workshop held by one of the regional nodes of ReAct.

Potential role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mitigation efforts in low- and middle-income countries: A report from India (December 2023). 

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Focus areas for the forward momentum of sub-national action plans on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) - Perspectives from three states in a Low- and middle-income Country

This article examines the factors and focus areas needed to formulate state-action plans (SAPs), in Low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore it reports the perspectives of key One Health stakeholders’ from three states in India.

Focus areas for the forward momentum of sub-national action plans on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – Perspectives from three states in a Low- and middle-income Country (December 2023).

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia: Community engagement to mitigate antimicrobial resistance in low-and middle-income countries – an essential strategy for implementation of national action plans on AMR

The project was a four-year exercise to develop a model for community engagement. This model aimed to understand the perceptions around AMR in various community stakeholder groups and develop a set of interventions to contain the impact of AMR, in partnership with the community itself. This was done in Mallappuzhaserry, Kerala, India. Read full text in ScienceDirect.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Equitable access to antibiotics: A core element for pandemic preparedness and response

In an article published in the latest Symposium Issue of the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics “Antimicrobial Resistance Must Be Included in the Pandemic Instrument to Ensure Future Global Pandemic Readiness”, ReAct calls for securing equitable and sustainable access to effective antibiotics and other countermeasures to be a key consideration in the upcoming pandemic instrument.

Journal article

Lancet article: Transferable exclusivity voucher: A flawed incentive to stimulate antibiotic innovation

In February 2023 a new article was published in The Lancet co-authored by ReAct Europe’s Otto Cars and Kerstin Åkerfeldt called “Transferable exclusivity voucher: a flawed incentive to stimulate antibiotic innovation”.

The article argues why the proposed transferable exclusivity voucher (TEV), which has been suggested by the European Commission as a potential new incentive to be introduced in the revision of the EUs pharmaceutical legislation to stimulate antibiotic innovation should be abandoned.

Journal article

Bracing for Superbugs: Strengthening environmental action in the One Health response to antimicrobial resistance

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently released a new report on the environmental dimensions of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) highlighting how the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans, animals, and agriculture can contribute to the spread of drug-resistant infections. This, in turn, can cause severe consequences for public health, food security, and ecosystems.

Anthony So, Director of the ReAct Strategic Policy Program and the IDEA (Innovation + Design Enabling Access) Initiative at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is one of five lead authors of the report.

Journal article

An analysis of existing national action plans for antimicrobial resistance—gaps and opportunities in strategies optimising antibiotic use in human populations

The Lancet article titled “An analysis of existing national action plans for antimicrobial resistance – gaps and opportunities in strategies optimising antibiotic use in human populations” examines the existing National Action Plans on Antimicrobial Resistance and identifies gaps and opportunities for improving strategies to optimize antibiotic use in human populations. Dr. Mirfin Mpundu, ReAct Africa, contributed to the article as one of the co-authors.

Journal article

AMR Control Supplement – The challenge for the Cancer Community

Article: The impact of antibiotic resistance on cancer treatment, especially in low-and middle-income countries, and the way forward – on page 46 in the report.

Journal article

Resetting the agenda for antibiotic resistance through a health systems perspective

Resetting the agenda for antibiotic resistance through a health systems perspective

Journal article

Antibiotic and pesticide susceptibility and the Anthropocene operating space

Antibiotic and pesticide susceptibility and the Anthropocene operating space (Nov 2018).

Journal article

Multidisciplinary and multisectoral coalitions as catalysts for action against antimicrobial resistance: Implementation experiences at national and regional levels

Multidisciplinary and multisectoral coalitions as catalysts for action against antimicrobial resistance: Implementation experiences at national and regional levels (March 2018).

Journal article

Unavailability of old antibiotics threatens effective treatment for common bacterial infections

Unavailability of old antibiotics threatens effective treatment for common bacterial infections (March 2018).

Journal article

Forgotten antibiotics: a follow-up inventory study in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia

This paper co-authored by ReAct and points out old but clinically useful antibiotics are not available in all countries. The situation regarding availability of these ‘forgotten antibiotics’ has worsened since 2011.

Forgotten antibiotics: a follow-up inventory study in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia (Jan 2017).

Journal article

Use antimicrobials wisely

In this article, authors argue that UN must reframe action on antimicrobial resistance as the defence of a common resource. Better understanding can facilitate action on AMR from varying angles, namely infectious diseases, food security, natural resources and environmental conservation.
Use antimicrobials wisely (Sept 2016).

Journal article

A Global Antimicrobial Conservation Fund for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

This paper co-authored by ReAct points out to the critical need to scale-up funding for low- and middle-income countries to support antimicrobial conservation and proposes a formation of the fund coordinating such support.
A Global Antimicrobial Conservation Fund for Low- and Middle-Income Countries (Oct 2016).

Journal article

Antimicrobial resistance - a threat to the world's sustainable development

This paper examines how a number of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are impacted by antimicrobial resistance and suggests how to integrate the issue better into ongoing international policy processes using SDGs as an entry point.
Antimicrobial resistance-a threat to the world’s sustainable development (Aug 2016).

Journal article

UN High-Level Meeting on antimicrobials – what do we need?

In the light of culminating political attention to AMR at the 71st UN General Assembly, this paper highlights four key functions the ad hoc global coordinating mechanisms should bear, namely advocacy, monitoring and evaluation, resource mobilisation and coordination of multisectoral action.
UN High-Level Meeting on antimicrobials–what do we need? (July 2016).

Delinking Investment in Antibiotic Research and Development from Sales Revenues: The Challenges of Transforming a Promising Idea into Reality

The paper discusses different aspects of the delinkage model, the most promising incentive mechanism proposed to replace the current business model for antibiotics. Delinking Investment in Antibiotic Research and Development from Sales Revenues: The Challenges of Transforming Promising Idea into Reality (June 2016).

Universal Access to Effective Antibiotics is Essential for Tackling Antibiotic Resistance

The world has a collective responsibility to preserve antibiotic effectiveness and access for all. This paper lays down policy implications and global governance tools necessary to addressed to resolve access vs. excess dilemma.
Universal Access to Effective Antibiotics is Essential for Tackling Antibiotic Resistance (Aug 2015).

An international legal framework to address antimicrobial resistance

Authors propose a concept of a tripod – access, conservation, innovation – where all of these three areas need to be addressed simultaneously to maintain sustainability in global action. The paper also explores tools of an international law that can be utilised in assuring countries’ commitment to act.
An international legal framework to address antimicrobial resistance (Feb 2015).

International cooperation to improve access to and sustain effectiveness of antimicrobials

In this paper, authors elucidates interlinkages between access, conservation and innovation of antibiotics and the need to address these three elements simultaneously. Because of the multisectoral nature of the problem, having key global institutions and partners aligned under a One Health model is necessary.
International cooperation to improve access to and sustain effectiveness of antimicrobials (Jan 2016).

An Integrated Systems Approach is Needed to Ensure the Sustainability of Antibiotic Effectiveness for Both Humans and Animals

This paper identifies issues related to the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals, provides examples of regional and country-level policies regulating non-therapeutic use of antibiotics and emphasises the need for a global coordination via international agreement to address these issues.
An Integrated Systems Approach is Needed to Ensure the Sustainability of Antibiotic Effectiveness for Both Humans and Animals (Aug 2015).

Overcoming scientific and structural bottlenecks in antibacterial discovery and development

Both financial and scientific bottlenecks hinder R&D of novel antibiotics. This paper delves deeper into the specifics of the different scientific and structural barriers, and offers some potential solutions.
Overcoming scientific and structural bottlenecks in antibacterial discovery and development (May 2014).

Antibiotic resistance-the need for global solutions

This article series describes the global situation of antibiotic resistance, its major causes and consequences. Authors identify key areas spanning from epidemiology to global governance in which action is urgently needed.
Antibiotic resistance-the need for global solutions (Dec 2013).

3Rs for innovating novel antibiotics: sharing resources, risks, and rewards

This article examines bottlenecks in the antibiotic pipeline. Authors argue that effective solutions are likely to include sharing the three Rs—resources, risks, and rewards along antibiotic development from discovery to post-marketing phases.
3Rs for innovating novel antibiotics: sharing resources, risks, and rewards (2012).