Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a major global health threat, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where the burden of multidrug-resistant infections is high and growing. A lack of microbiological diagnostic capacity and limited access to novel antibiotics mean that many infections go undetected and are left untreated, putting lives at risk.
To fight this growing crisis, the ComBac-Africa consortium will work closely together to develop a needs-adapted diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship programme in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, and Nigeria. The project will improve microbiological diagnostics, enhance our understanding of how bacteria spread between humans, animals, and the environment, and create targeted treatment strategies for infections caused by multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR GNB). These will be tested in a clinical trial to evaluate its impact on improving the treatment of severe drug-resistant infections.
The consortium is led by Saarland University and brings together partners from several African and European countries, including Obafemi Awolowo University, the Centre for Malaria and other Tropical Disease Care, and Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi in Nigeria; Ministerio da Saúde Pública in Guinea-Bissau; Institut Pasteur de Côte d’Ivoire and the Fondation pour un Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire in Côte d’Ivoire; GARDP Africa NPC in South Africa; Instituto Piaget in Portugal; LINQ management GmbH in Germany; the GARDP Foundation and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Switzerland.
“Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria is a major healthcare threat, and infections caused by resistant pathogens are responsible for excess morbidity and mortality. Thus far, antimicrobial resistance has not been comprehensively studied in the Global South. Improving microbiological diagnostics and providing tailored access to recently developed antibiotics will be an important contribution to reduce the disease burden caused by multi-resistant pathogens in Africa,” explains project coordinator Prof Sören Becker.
LINQ will manage ComBac-Africa and work closely with all partners to ensure the project runs smoothly. We will also lead the project's communication activities and support dissemination and exploitation efforts to help maximise its reach and impact. We look forward to being a part of this exciting initiative over the next four years and are committed to ensuring the success of the project.
About ComBac-Africa
ComBac-Africa is a 48-month project funded by the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking (GA N° 101190791). The project is coordinated by Prof Sören Becker at Saarland University, Germany and managed by LINQ.