The International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) is pleased to announce its new role as an implementation partner in the Team Europe Initiative for Africa, funded by the European Union.
Through this partnership, ICARS will work alongside leading global and African institutions, including the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership Association (EDCTP). Together, partners will strengthen Africa’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across human, animal, and environmental health sectors, as part of the Annual Action Plan 24 action “Fighting antimicrobial resistance and strengthening the One Health workforce in Africa”.
Building stronger systems for AMR action
At the heart of the initiative is a shared commitment to reinforce national and regional health systems for inclusive AMR preparedness and response. ICARS will support countries to identify priority AMR challenges, conduct situational assessments of national AMR landscapes, and co-develop tailored country-specific interventions. The project builds on the earlier Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)–ICARS engagement as part of an inception phase, leveraging initial country collaborations and lessons learned to inform the design of scalable, country-driven interventions.
Expanding workforce capacity through One Heath training
In collaboration with partners, ICARS will design and deliver a comprehensive capacity-strengthening programme in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), infection prevention and control (IPC) and economics for human and animal health professionals. Delivered through interactive and practice-oriented courses, the programme will equip frontline workers to apply One Health quality improvement solutions to AMR challenges. Continuous monitoring and post-training assessments will help ensure long-term sustainability and real-world impact.
Generating evidence to guide policy and investment
To support data-driven decision-making, ICARS will conduct a continental assessment of the health and economic burden of AMR across human, animal, and environmental sectors. This will be followed by cost-effectiveness analyses to inform national policies and guide the scale-up of high-impact AMR interventions. In parallel, ICARS will build in-country expertise in health economics, enabling African nations to integrate economic evidence into national AMR strategies.
Advancing implementation research across Africa
The partnership will also support multi-country implementation research projects to test the effectiveness, feasibility, and scalability of AMR interventions across diverse One Health settings, ensuring solutions are locally relevant, evidence-based, and ready for expansion.
A shared vision for sustainable health security
Helle Engslund Krarup, Director of Operations at ICARS, said:
“We are delighted to join the Team Europe Initiative for Africa as an implementation partner, working together to strengthen sustainable health security through a One Health approach. This collaboration will help ensure that African countries have the capacity, evidence, and systems needed to prevent and respond to antimicrobial resistance in a lasting, inclusive and sustainable way.”
Find out more about the Team Europe Initiative – Team Europe Initiatives and Joint Programming Tracker | Capacity4dev
About the EDCTP Association
The EDCTP Association brings together African and European countries to strengthen research capacity and support Member States’ activities, promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing through the EDCTP programmes and beyond, and coordinate and advocate for sustainable investment in global health research focused on poverty-related and emerging infectious diseases. For more information, visit www.edctp.org.
