Dr Susan Winks, PhD, MBA
Head of Research Operations and Business Development at University of Cape Town Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre
Prof Kelly Chibale
Neville Isdell Chair in African-centric Drug Discovery and Development, Founder and Director, University of Cape Town Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre
Julie Brady
Interim Head of Global Health Translational Challenge, LifeArc
A new collaboration to tackle antimicrobial resistance in Africa could play a vital role in tackling what has been called a ‘silent pandemic.’
The Centre for Translational AMR Research (CTAR) Programme is a new collaboration between the self-funded medical research charity LifeArc and the Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Centre at University of Cape Town. It aims to address the urgent global health threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through the development of new treatments. This is crucial for the African continent because AMR is more widespread there than elsewhere in the world.
AMR threatens millions globally
Recent studies show that 1.91 million people are currently dying as a direct result of AMR, and failure to address the problem could result in 39 million deaths between 2025 and 2050 — equivalent to three people every minute.1 The burden of AMR is already highest in low and middle-income countries. So, as the situation escalates, most of the direct and indirect impacts of AMR will fall on these nations.
Recent studies show that 1.91 million people
are currently dying as a direct result of AMR.
AMR drug discovery research in Africa is key
In South Africa, and other LMICs, 80–90% of severe infections caused by a bacteria called
Acinetobacter baumannii are resistant to common treatments. This has led to both the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) including A baumannii as a ‘critical priority pathogen.’
Conducting drug discovery research in Africa will allow scientists to access patient samples and design new treatments to target emerging resistant strains. It will also allow African researchers to champion initiatives that address the most pressing health issues for the continent.
New partnership to tackle emerging threat
The CTAR programme will not only target the development of new antibiotics but also focus on strengthening local research capacity in Africa. The collaboration will enhance research capabilities to facilitate efficient AMR drug discovery, and it will create secondment opportunities for scientists in both Africa and the UK to gain exposure to new technologies and techniques. The partnership is an example of the type of international cooperation and collaboration that is urgently required to combat the imminent threat posed by AMR.
[1] Naghavi, Mohsen et al. Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance 1990–2021: a systematic analysis with forecasts to 2050. The Lancet, Volume 404, Issue 10459, 1199 – 1226
