Nigeria—Fleming Fund

The Fleming Fund is a U.K. Department of Health and Social Care programme to help low- and middle-income countries fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR). DAI’s Fleming Fund programme in Nigeria was a collaboration with the Nigerian government to strengthen systems for AMR and Antimicrobial Use (AMR/AMU) using a “One Health” approach—a multisectoral approach to complex health problems that reaches across human health, animal health, and environment sectors. As global leaders in One Health, the DAI team helped incorporate One Health across programme interventions. DAI worked with the Nigerian government to become a leader in combating antimicrobial resistance.

The DAI team convened and supported a National AMR Symposium, a series of consultative meetings, workshops and one-on-one meetings to launch the technical working groups. The National AMR Symposium set the stage for ongoing state-level AMR engagement.

Fleming Fund Nigeria partners included the Institute for Human Virology Nigeria, the International Foundation Against Infectious Disease in Nigeria, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and Life Stock Management Services.

Sample Activities

• Build a One Health governance structure for AMR/AMU surveillance, by establishing a One Health National Steering Committee (OHNSC) that will work closely with the National AMR Coordinating Committee (AMRCC) Secretariat.
• Strengthen AMR/AMU surveillance systems in human health by linking two leading Nigerian laboratory and surveillance organisations with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to support adherence to international standards and assure quality.
• Strengthen AMR and AMU surveillance in food animals by building a common set of initiatives between the private food production sector and the public animal health sector, balancing production and marketing with research, workforce training, and regulatory functions.
• Establish a foundation for AMR surveillance in aquatic animals.
• Conduct a situational analysis of environmental laboratory stakeholders to assess requirements for an AMR bacteriology sentinel site for environmental health.

Select Results

• Built a strong multisector country AMR governance structure at national and local levels in health facilities and laboratories.
• Strengthened laboratory infrastructure and equipment across reference laboratories and surveillance sites.
• Improved antimicrobial stewardship across human health reference laboratories and sites.
• Developed and used policies, strategies, protocols, standards, and guidelines relevant to effective AMR.
• Trained and equipped 485 government staff in seven AMR thematic areas.
• Built foundations for effective surveillance data sharing and use through the establishment of the community of practice.