Towards Holistic AMR Strategies: IDRC, ICARS and DHSC join forces to contribute $2.3 million towards research into gender, equity and climate change within AMR mitigation

The UK’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) as part of its Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF), Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) are joining forces to bring the gender, equity, and climate aspects into antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mitigation. Through IDRC, DHSC will support ICARS to fund scoping and research projects focused on climate change, as well as gender and equity within AMR. With funding from DHSC (1.8 million USD) and ICARS (500,000 USD), the project will run from June 2024 to December 2026.

Climate change and social inequities, including gender disparities, have documented impacts that exacerbate AMR, particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) where the burden of drug resistance is already the highest. However, there is a global gap in solution-oriented research to understand how to include gender, equity, and climate perspectives in AMR mitigation. To help address this, ICARS will collaborate with IDRC across two technical streams, one focusing on gender and equity and the other on climate change.

Bridging Research Gaps and Expanding Existing Knowledge

As world leaders come together to set actionable targets in AMR mitigation in 2024, it is imperative to address the often overlooked factors accelerating the spread of drug-resistant pathogens.

Over the next years, ICARS will incorporate a gender and equity, as well as a climate lens, into intervention and implementation research projects, building on its collaboration with IDRC. This project will produce several results such as:

• Piloting the Practical Pathways document on gender and equity in four projects and presenting this work on international stages.
• Developing hot-spot maps for climate change, antimicrobial use, and AMR.
• Developing resource materials on collaboratively addressing AMR and climate change in livestock and aquaculture systems.

The evidence generated from these activities will inform future and existing policies in developing relevant, sustainable, and targeted solutions to the ever-increasing threat of AMR.

Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy for AMR, said:

“Addressing the interconnected challenges of climate change and health inequities within the context of AMR is crucial, particularly for Low- and Middle-Income Countries which bear the brunt of these issues. This exciting partnership between ICARS, IDRC, and GAMRIF is a significant step forward in bridging the critical research gaps in integrating gender, equity, and climate perspectives into AMR solutions.”

Federico Burone, VP of Programmes and Partnerships, IDRC said:

“IDRC has been investing in antimicrobial resistance research, in partnership with the DHSC, since 2019. The researchers we are supporting in LMICs are working to find solutions to the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance and to develop life-saving innovations. We are delighted to pursue our collaboration with institutions such as ICARS to advance knowledge, and boost innovative alternatives to commonly used antibiotics.”

Dr Sujith J Chandy, Executive Director, ICARS said:

“Among the many issues the world is facing today, gender, equity and climate change are three requiring ‘on the ground’ research to understand their relationships with AMR and how such knowledge can help tailor cost-effective solutions to AMR. It is my earnest hope that these grants provide a great opportunity towards furthering such research and positively impacting lives, especially in resource-constrained regions.”

Stream 1: AMR, Gender, and Equity

Gender and equity, and more broadly health and social equity, is a long-recognised priority within the health and development agenda. However, research is still lagging when it comes to intersecting social factors and how they contribute to exposure and experiences with drug-resistant infections. For example, gender and equity play a role in exposure to AMR-related risks in healthcare and food-producing animal settings due to the tasks and activities associated with traditional women’s roles – including food preparation, livestock and aquaculture management, and caregiving. That can lead to increased exposure to treatment-resistant pathogens and can worsen experiences of disease and overall drug resistance.

The objectives of this stream are to:

• Integrate a gender and equity lens into AMR innovation, including existing ICARS intervention and implementation research projects.
• Document and communicate the research learnings externally to inform future projects and studies in the field.

“There is a notable global absence of practical on-the-ground examples of AMR research that integrates gender and equity considerations, which hinders our ability to adopt best practices in intervention implementation. This project will help to address that critical gap.” – Erica Westwood, Senior Science Advisor, ICARS

Stream 2: AMR and Climate Change

Research on the impacts of climate change on AMR in agrifood systems is scarce. Climate change threatens the health of animals and humans, in addition to impacting the health of our planet. Changes in climatic and environmental conditions are projected to increase the spread of bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal, and vector-borne diseases. LMICs are at risk of experiencing the greatest burden of both AMR and climate change, while also hosting the fastest-growing livestock and aquaculture industries where there are high levels of antimicrobial use.

The objectives of this stream are to:

• Scope LMIC knowledge and implementation gaps to collaboratively address AMR and climate change in livestock and aquaculture systems.
• Develop guidance to incorporate a climate change lens into AMR intervention and implementation research.

“The Community of Action that would be under this stream will bring together experts across disciplines and support prioritisation of measures that are both climate and AMR smart for farmers in resource-scarce settings.” – Kristina Osbjer, Senior Science Advisor, ICARS

About the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS)

ICARS is an independent, self-governing institution working internationally in partnership with Low- and Middle-Income Countries’ (LMICs) governments to develop and test context-specific solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). ICARS’ expertise spans the One Health spectrum, diverse geographies, and partnerships with the vision to co-develop and test tailored solutions with potential for scale-up, building on National Action Plans, and informed by intervention and implementation research. ICARS is a Danish-initiated (2018), now independent self-governed organisation (2021), attracting funding from member states as well as foundations.

About the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

IDRC is a Crown corporation created in 1970 by the Parliament of Canada. IDRC supports and strengthens the capacity of people and institutions in developing countries to undertake the research that they identify as most urgent. It works with researchers and research users as they confront contemporary challenges within their own countries and contributes to global advances in their fields. The Centre’s 10-year strategy, Strategy 2030, affirms IDRC’s vision for a more sustainable and inclusive world, and commits the Centre to the following mission: IDRC will be a leader in research for development, investing in high-quality research and innovation, sharing knowledge for greater uptake and use, and mobilizing alliances for more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive societies.

About the Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF)

The Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF) is a UK One Health aid fund that supports research and development around the world to reduce the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans, animals and the environment for the benefit of people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). GAMRIF core objectives are to develop innovative One Health solutions to tackle AMR; increase availability of context-specific, accessible, and affordable innovations for LMICs; establish international research partnerships with industry, academia, and governments; and collaborate with and leverage additional funding from other global donors.