Context
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health and economic threat across Africa, with resistance to first-line antibiotics exceeding 50% in many settings and major projected economic losses in the coming decades. Its burden extends beyond human health to animal production and environmental systems, driven by increasing antimicrobial use, weak regulatory oversight, limited infection prevention, and cross-sector transmission risks. Despite recognition of AMR as a One Health challenge, economic evidence to guide prioritisation, planning, and investment remains scarce. Existing evaluations are concentrated largely in high-income countries, focus mainly on human health, and rarely reflect African realities or integrate animal and environmental sectors. In African contexts, these gaps are compounded by limited routine data, resource constraints, fragmented decision-making structures, weak technical capacity, and limited institutional mechanisms to sustain economic evaluation. Although national AMR action plans increasingly call for evidence-based resource allocation, many countries still lack the capacity to generate policy-relevant economic evidence. This project addresses these gaps by strengthening technical and institutional capacity to conduct context-relevant economic evaluation of AMR interventions in Africa across One Health sectors, thereby supporting more efficient, sustainable, and evidence-informed AMR policy and investment decisions.
Problem
The project addresses critical gaps in the availability and application of economic evaluation for AMR interventions in African LMICs. Despite the recognised importance of economic evidence in guiding policy and resource allocation, there is limited technical capacity to conduct such analyses within a One Health framework. Existing expertise is concentrated in human health, with significant gaps in animal health, agriculture, and environmental sectors. Furthermore, current methodologies are often not adapted to data-scarce and resource-constrained contexts, limiting their applicability. There is also a lack of institutional mechanisms to integrate economic evidence into decision-making processes, as well as limited professional networks to support knowledge exchange and capacity development. Training opportunities that combine health economics, AMR, and One Health approaches are scarce, and there is a lack of African-specific case studies and practical tools. As a result, policymakers lack the evidence needed to prioritise interventions and allocate resources effectively. This project aims to build sustainable, contextually appropriate regional capacity for the economic evaluation of AMR interventions across One Health sectors in Africa, while strengthening systems for evidence-informed AMR decision-making.
Project overview
The BEACOI-Africa project aims to strengthen sustainable capacity in African LMICs to design, conduct, and apply high-quality economic evaluations of AMR interventions across human, animal, and environmental sectors. The project will co-develop a context-specific curriculum through stakeholder engagement, supported by a scoping review and regional consultations. Training will be delivered through a blended learning model hosted on the ASLM Academy platform, combining online modules, in-person workshops, and mentored applied projects. A total of 120 professionals will be trained through a structured certification pathway (Foundations, Applied Evaluation, and Mentored Practice), with parallel English and French cohorts to ensure inclusivity. The programme will develop practical tools, African case studies, and open-access digital resources to support long-term capacity building. A Community of Practice will be established to sustain peer learning and collaboration beyond the project period. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) will assess both training outcomes and real-world application of skills. The project leverages ASLM’s extensive experience in multi-country training and partnerships with Africa CDC and regional networks to ensure scalability and sustainability.
This work is aligned with the European Commission’s Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on Sustainable Health Security in Africa and supported through Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) priorities, reinforcing integrated, cross-sectoral approaches to tackling AMR and strengthening sustainable, evidence-driven health systems in Africa.”
Intended outcomes
The project is expected to deliver both immediate and long-term outcomes. In the short term, at least 120 professionals across human, animal, and environmental health sectors will be trained and certified in economic evaluation of AMR interventions. A comprehensive, peer-reviewed curriculum and practical tools tailored to African contexts will be developed and made available through an open-access digital platform. The project will generate 8–10 African case studies demonstrating applied economic evaluation in One Health settings. In the medium term, participants will apply their skills in real-world contexts, producing policy-relevant analyses to support national AMR strategies and investment decisions. The establishment of a Community of Practice will facilitate ongoing knowledge exchange, collaboration, and professional development. In the long term, the project will contribute to strengthened institutional capacity for economic evaluation, improved resource allocation, and more effective AMR interventions across sectors. By embedding capacity within national systems and regional networks, the project aims to support sustainable, evidence-based decision-making and contribute to reducing the burden of AMR in Africa.
