RITM, through its Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program (ARSP), hosted the 1st Annual National Institute for Health Research – Global Health Research Units (NIHR-GHRU) Meeting held on May 31-June 1, 2018 at the Acacia Hotel Manila, Philippines.
In coordination with the Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance based at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and in partnership with leading researchers and institutions in the Philippines, India, Nigeria, and Colombia, the Global Health Research Units (GHRU) project will enhance local appreciation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) while also supplementing national and international monitoring of key bacterial infections using whole genome sequencing. Key stakeholders in AMR may utilize the data to better inform public health policy locally and internationally.
“It is tremendous news that NIHR are supporting our Global Health Research Unit. Antibiotic resistance is a major international threat to public health and a global problem, which requires coordinated responses across multiple countries. This funding will enable us and partners, to enhance local capacity for research and active genomic surveillance in the Philippines, India, Nigeria and Colombia. Through sampling and sequencing the DNA of resistant and sensitive bacteria within these strategically relevant countries, we will enhance local research capacity while feeding data into national and international surveillance for monitoring and spotting the emergence of resistance. The information from these units will ultimately help to improve the public health response of entire regions,”says Dr. David Aanensen, Director of the Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute about the project.
by Laila T. Flores, Office of the Assistant Director [RITM Web Team]