MAP-AMR Kenya Project launched

During the official launch of the Monitor and Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance in Kenya project held on March 8, 2022, the acting Director General of Health, Ministry of Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth urged Kenyans to reconsider how they use antibiotics, stating that inappropriate use of antibiotics has plagued the country and poses a great public health threat.

According to researchers, AMR could kill up to 10 million people by the year 2050. A 2019 Lancet report estimated global deaths associated with bacterial AMR of close to 5 million people.

“It is my plea to all Kenyans to reconsider how we use antibiotics, keeping in mind that antibiotics inappropriately used today leads to selection of antimicrobial resistant organisms tomorrow,” Dr. Amoth said.

Dr. Amoth noted that bacterial and viral infections pose great threat to global health security and to overcome them antimicrobials have to be used, adding that their irrational use has led to antimicrobial resistance which has now emerged as one of the leading public health threats of the century.

According to Dr. Amoth, development of new antimicrobials is time consuming which requires costly research and innovation, and to reward such big efforts the prices of new antimicrobials are usually very high and are patent protected monopoly typically lasting 20 years.

The MAP-AMR Kenya project, which is led by Dr. Loice Achieng Ombajo, brings together a highly experienced team of experts from the University of Nairobi, the Kenyatta National Hospital, The Nairobi Hospital, the National Spinal Injury Referral Hospital, the Ministry of Health, and Washington State University-Global Health program in Kenya who are directly involved in patient care, laboratory work and epidemiology in Kenya. The project aims to enhance the capacity to detect and respond to the threat of AMR in healthcare facilities in Kenya, specifically Candida auris, to identify the risk factors for AMR and nosocomial outbreaks in specialized and intensive care units, and to determine the appropriate containment strategies to improve treatment outcomes of patients and protect the healthcare workforce.

Dr. Amoth stated that the project captures all the elements that need to put in place to control antimicrobial resistance in addition to improving microbiology laboratory capacity for bacteriology and mycology, support surveillance of Candida auris, strengthen infection prevention and control.

On his part, UoN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Stephen Kiama said the University of Nairobi has been at the forefront in building the capacity for dealing with the issue of disease as he acknowledged the issue of emerging and re-emerging diseases which continue to be a great threat.

He noted that UoN and MoH tirelessly worked together in managing the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and acknowledged the work done by the Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA) which is led by Dr. Loice Ombajo and Prof. Thumbi Mwangi.

“This partnership has come at the right time, it is going to bring result in the improved protection of our healthcare workers, improved patient outcomes and enhanced protection and monitoring of this landmine that is Candida auris,” Prof. Kiama said.

The University of Nairobi is among 28 organizations that have received funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to combat antimicrobial resistance and other healthcare threats through the establishment of the Global Action in Healthcare Network (GAIHN) and the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory and Response Network (Global AR Lab & Response Network) that cover more than 50 countries worldwide. The university will use the funding to implement the  MAP-AMR Kenya project to monitor emerging antimicrobial resistance threats in healthcare facilities and the environment, that were not previously well characterized. It will also identify the most appropriate prevention and control strategies for the Kenyan context.

The initial phase of the project will be implemented at the Kenyatta National Hospital, The Nairobi Hospital and The National Spinal Injury Referral Hospital. These three facilities reflect the spectrum of care in the country, including a public health, private and long-term care facility. Dr. Amoth urged the facilities to not just support this project, but to also work towards ensuring that beyond the 5 year term, the best practices that will be learnt from the project are carried forward and that none of the gains are lost.