BACTERIAL DISEASES AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
Our current research focus is on studying bacterial zonnoses such as Mycobacterial infections, which cause tuberculosis and related pathogens in animals and environment. We have also an active genomics surveillance programme on anti-microbial resistance determining the flow of antimicrobial restistomes across the human, animal and enviroment compartments and perform risk analysis for the development of cost effectuve intervention to curb the burden of AMR.
Our Antimicrobial portfolio
Antimicrobial research activities in the Southern Africa Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance (SACIDS) is led by the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Community of Practice (AMR CoP). This CoP was formed five years ago to address the burden of AMR in the southern African region and therefore, contributes to the global effort.
We set out to address the AMR problem from the One Health perspective in humans, animals and the environ- ment and, therefore, our research team combines expertise and experience from the three sectors. We realised that although AMR is a global issue, in low-income countries, it is compounded by (i) a lack of access to appropriate antimicrobial therapy, (ii) weak of regulation in the use of antibiotics for humans and animals, (iii) weak AMR surveillance and resistance levels, (iv) a lack of updated antibiotic use and treatment guidelines, (v) a lack of continuing medical and veterinary education on antibiotic use for prescribers, (vi) a weak regulatory framework for the use of antibiotics in animal production and aquaculture, (vii) a high degree of drugs abuse by livestock keepers through; (viii) a lack of basic knowledge on the concept of antibiotic resistance among livestock keepers (ix) unregulated disposal of industrial waste and finally (x) self medication using antimicrobials.
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