We are delighted to announce that as of March 2024, Wellcome will join ICARS as a Strategic Funding Partner, supporting and strengthening our efforts to work closely with African countries in mitigating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This partnership, in collaboration with ReAct Africa, will support ICARS’ mission of partnering with Low and-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) to develop context-specific and country-owned sustainable AMR solutions. Building on the success of previous collaborations, the support from Wellcome will further advance ICARS’ global impact on AMR.
Wellcome’s initial collaboration with ICARS began in 2022 with an ICARS-supported project aimed at mobilising community engagement to address the burden of Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) among women in Zambia. The project tested and implemented Wellcome’s Responsive Dialogues on Drug-Resistant Infections toolkit, bridging the gap between local realities and policies, and providing a community-led approach to UTI solutions. This project has been successfully completed and led to additional collaboration on refining the toolkit to inform AMR interventions in LMICs.
“It is critical to develop and test context-specific and cost-effective solutions to mitigate AMR which is why Wellcome are very pleased to be deepening our partnership with ICARS, supporting their research in Africa where there is a high burden of AMR. This September, there will be a spotlight on global action at the UN High-Level meeting on AMR, and partnerships like this one contribute to the development of appropriate solutions.”
–Dr Tim Jinks, Head of Interventions at Wellcome.
As a Strategic Funding Partner, Wellcome will contribute 57.5 million DKK (USD 8.2 million) to ICARS over a period of five years to intensify its efforts in the African region. This award will advance countries’ NAP implementation by developing, in partnerships with ministries and local stakeholders, sustainable solutions informed by local contexts and needs. Wellcome’s funding will also help establish ICARS’ regional presence in Africa, a significant milestone of ICARS’ effort in mitigating the threats AMR poses to the African continent.
“We are thrilled to have Wellcome join as our Strategic Funding Partner. Their contribution to ICARS and commitment to our mission will help shape our organisation’s direction, diversify our portfolio, and expand our partnerships in Africa and across the world. This close partnership will further strengthen ICARS’ work and impact in implementing solutions to mitigate AMR”.
–Dr Sujith J Chandy, ICARS’ Executive Director.
To widen the scope and impact of our activities, ICARS will join forces with ReAct Africa in our shared efforts to address AMR in Africa. Since the endorsement of the Global Action Plan on AMR in 2015, ReAct Africa has established itself as a trusted partner at the community, national, and regional levels in Africa, supporting countries with the development and implementation of NAPs on AMR. The partnership with ReAct Africa will include collaboration on the establishment of ICARS’ presence in the African region as well as advocacy efforts to bridge the gap between science and policy in AMR.
“We are excited to collaborate with ICARS as a valued partner in the Strategic funding partnership with Wellcome. I am eager to synergise efforts and leverage on ReAct Africa’s work and ICARS to strengthen context-specific and sustainable AMR solutions that address the unique challenges faced by LMICs. This partnership will go a long way in creating sustainable impact driven and owned by the LMICs”
–Dr Mirfin Mpundu, Executive Director at ReAct Africa.
The regional presence will enhance ICARS’ ongoing and future activities in Africa, supporting the co-development of projects and activities with local research teams, ministries and a range of stakeholders.
“I look forward to strengthening and expanding ICARS’ collaboration with Wellcome over the next five years. I am particularly pleased that this partnership will enable a stronger physical presence of ICARS in the African region and that this support will also strengthen ICARS’ collaboration with ReAct Africa”.
–Helle Engslund Krarup, ICARS’ Director of Operations.