From 19 to 22 November 2019, IQLS participated in an Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) country mission to Zimbabwe to help establish guidance for monitoring and evaluation framework related to the national action plan. The mission team included IQLS Senior Lab Specialist Obert Kachuwaire plus 2 consultants from Epiconcept as well as representatives from WHO, FAO and OIE.
Meetings were held with various stakeholders, including the multisector national AMR core group, the Ministry of Health, national reference laboratories (human, veterinary and environment) and academia.
The guidance includes best-practice examples, identifies gaps in the current framework and proposes alternative indicators. The key objectives were to:
- Assess the feasibility of countries collecting data on the indicators of the Tripartite M&E framework and those that are being suggested to track AMR within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Identify data sources and approaches to better track how antimicrobials are used
- Identify potential country-owned targets
- Develop guidance (primarily for low- and middle-income countries) on how to develop an appropriate and useful AMR results framework/monitoring system that will help strengthen the links between AMR and the broader human and animal health systems
The Zimbabwe National Action Plan for the prevention and control of AMR was published in September 2017 and covers a five-year period from 2017 to 2021.
