Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent global health problem. Drug-resistant microorganisms already account for an estimated 700,000 deaths a year globally, a figure that could rapidly increase to 10 million deaths each year if no action is taken. A comprehensive global strategy towards solving AMR is needed.AMR-Global is a Public-Private Partnership characterized by a global focus. The partnership brings together experts in science, business, policy and society in the fight against AMR. Together we work towards a world where all those in need have access to effective and affordable antimicrobial solutions. The partnership works on innovations to improve infection prevention and control, access to improved diagnostics, antimicrobial stewardship, and access to effective antimicrobial drugs and vaccines, tested in real-world settings globally. AMR-Global aims to lift barriers to development, evaluation, and implementation of such innovations, with emphasis on innovations that matter for people in low- and middle-income countries.
Examples of problems that AMR-Global will address
AMR has become an urgent global problem. Over the past few years, several attempts have been made to quantify the burden of disease caused by antibiotic resistance. In 2050, the number of people dying from infections with resistant will be higher than the number of people that is anticipated to die from cancer. Given this prediction, AMR deserves our full attention as a key challenge to achieve equitable health. In addition, due to the broken business model for AMR products, public support to drive innovation is crucial.
1. Positioning AMR as a key challenge to achieve equitable health
A great burden of antimicrobial resistance is felt at the community level and especially those of low-income and middle-income countries. The difficulty of coming to meaningful solutions to curb AMR that matter at a community level is often underestimated. It is therefore crucial that we develop the required capability for understanding the complex factors contributing to resistance, as well as involve the community to work with innovators from the Netherlands and abroad. This way, solutions can be sought that make a difference for the millions of people that need to deal with AMR-associated problems on a daily basis.
2. Meaningfull solutions to fight AMR at community level
While AMR is a fast-growing problem, we see a decline in the number of new products such as new antibiotic and new diagnostics. This is because such innovation nowadays brings little, if any, profit. Increasingly, the idea of rethinking models for AMR product development is animating both industry leaders as well as policy makers. While we live in a time of growing nationalism, this is a global problem that needs to be addressed. This will require global coordination, and strategic thinking and action. AMR-Global proposes an interdisciplinary and cross-sectional approach involving members from the private sector, and health economists.
3. Adressing the problem of market failure
The Netherlands has excellent stewardship programs enabled in all hospitals, which makes the AMR problem in the Netherlands a highly manageable one. However, resistant bugs do not stop at our borders, and the global nature of the AMR problem requires an international focus. We regard the ‘Dutch’ model as an export product. AMR-Global can incubate and accelerate such export by providing the relevant adoptions for each particular setting in low- and middle-income countries, but also countries in the eastern and southern part of Europe, where AMR is much more prevalent than in the Netherlands.
4. Working on stewardship and access issues
Responsible use of medication, certainly in the veterinary setting, is still far away. Application of diagnostic tools for more targeted interventions is lagging, making treatment often more empirical than necessary. Stand-alone antibiotic development is not a true solution. Innovation in new resources must be combined with good and fast diagnostics (not enough are available yet).
5. Promoting the use of diagnostics to steer targgeted antibiotic intervention
Responsible use of disinfectants can reduce AMR. In combination with environmental aspects (e.g., waste water treatment and drinking water purification) this perspective from the cleaning / hygiene sector could contribute to a reduction of the AMR problems. AMR-Global will contribute so that society’s future hygiene needs can be met with more effective use of disinfectants to reduce AMR, at the same time keeping an eye on the costs of ensuring microbial safety while barriers to innovation to the hygiene sector are lowered.
6. Promote hygiene needs in a more sustainable way
AMR-Global Partners
AMR-Global is a starting international public-private partnership with roots in the Netherlands.We are currently writing our strategy 2020-2025.Our current member list is as follows:
The Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD) is an international research and education institute that works to develop sustainable solutions to major health problems.AIGHD was initiated as a partnership between the Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC), the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU).
AIGHD is a dynamic research and education institute that thrives on intense collaboration among experts from multiple disciplines including biomedicine, economics and social and behavioral sciences.
With its interdisciplinary and translational approach, AIGHD addresses the most critical medical, social, economic and political challenges in global health and development that cut across national and political borders.www.aighd.org
KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation was established in 1903 and works in over 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. We have led several international AMR initiatives and are known for programmatic interventions to prevent and address resistance to TB medicines in the context of broader health systems strengthening. These interventions include the introduction of new drugs and regimens; rapid laboratory methods to detect resistance; AMR stewardship; pharmacovigilance; policy development; training and advocacy. https://kncvtbc.org/en
KWR generates knowledge to enable the water sector to operate water-wisely in our urbanised society. At KWR, we have a sense of professional and social responsibility for the quality of water. Our scientific findings and the resulting practical innovations contribute, worldwide, to a sustainable water provision in the urban watercycle. Research in the field of AMR aims at improving our understanding of the underlying mechanisms. By combining chemical and microbiological analyses, the relationship between occurrence of antibiotics and potential metabolites and antimicrobial resistance genes in waste- and receiving waters will become clear. KWR contributes to AMR-GLOBAL to help answering fundamental questions about and monitor of the spreading of antibiotic resistance.
https://www.kwrwater.nl/
Madam Therapeutics’ is a privately held company from the Netherlands that is developing Synthetic Anti-Microbial and Anti-Biofilm Peptides (SAAPs) to combat resistant bacterial infections. Our SAAPs are highly active against such bacteria and have a very favorable tolerance profile. Our SAAPs combine two characteristics essential for such new strategies: powerful killing of bacteria and limited likelihood of emerging resistance.
https://madam-therapeutics.com/
Levels Diagnostics developsa Rapid Diagnostic Test that allows healthcare professionals can distinguish a bacterial infection from other forms of infectious diseases, using just one drop of blood, drawn by a simple finger-prick. The disposable RDT can be described as a small hand-held ‘lab-on-a-chip’ and will perform a simple diagnosis within minutes. The medical healthcare professional can easily interpret the results and confirm the bacterial/viral infection.
https://levels.bio/
Netherlands Centre for One Health (NCOH) aims for an integrated One Health approach to tackle the global risk of infectious diseases. NCOH commits to create durable solutions for this major challenge by bundling world-leading academic top research in the Netherlands in the area of One Health. NCOH brings together academic research institutes in the Netherlands that are active in One Health research together with other leading parties to forge an open innovation network with the capacity to take joint responsibility for finding answers to global One Health challenges. https://ncoh.nl
Sphereon develops AI and Blockchain technology for software developers for building applications in the field of health care, education and governments.
https://sphereon.com/
Topicus connects people, healthcare professionals, providers, commissioners and financiers with digital health solutions. Our aim is to contribute
towards a (better) balanced healthcare system by people and patient empowerment, community engagement and operational excellence according
to the quadruple aim. We 1) involve the patient in their own care process with blended care and smart technology; 2) optimize collaboration between
https://topicus.nl/
Deltares is an independent institute for applied research in the field of water and subsurface. Throughout the world, we work on smart solutions, innovations and applications for people, environment and society. Our main focus is on deltas, coastal regions and river basins. We combine laboratory and field studies with software models to predict how the various substances including antibiotics spread through the water system, surface waters and groundwater. This makes it possible to assess risks in the future and to predict the effect of interventions.
https://deltares.nl
NX Filtration is a young and fast-growing company that develops and manufactures hollow fiber membranes and modules for use in ultrafiltration and nanofiltration applications. The low fouling, chlorine tolerant hollow fiber construction provides removal of organics, e.g., bacteria, micro-pollutants, and salinity in one simple cost effective step.NX Filtration’s technology is ideally suited for waste water re-use applications and for polishing of surface water to drinking water standards. Other applications include decentralized water treatment, color removal, softening, and partial desalination for industrial, process and municipal applications.
https://www.nxfiltration.com/
VitalFluid is a company specialized in the development of customer driven Plasma Activated Water applications to contribute to the sustainability goals of our customers and society. With this technology, residues of medicines but also multi resistant microorganisms are broken down by plasma, and the overall toxicity the waste water is reduced significantly.
https://vitalfluid.nl/
Shan-X is currently developing a platform for providing fast drug resistance testing and aims to deliver fast and accurate diagnosis at the primary care https://shanxmedtech.nl/
Product Owner & Product Manager for Sphereon and Vice Chairman Blockchain Innovation Foundation
Coen Breedveld
Co-founder Levels Diagnostics
Agnes Gebhard
Director Technical Division KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation
Luc Hornstra
Scientific researcher microbiology at KWR Water
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