Partners of AMR-Global have been awarded funding to carry out a research program on antimicrobial resistance. The collaboration is co-funded by the PPP Allowance made available by Health~Holland, Top Sector Life Sciences & Health, to stimulate public-private partnerships. The program is titled “AMR-Global: Reducing inappropriate exposure to antibiotics” (GLORIA).

AMR-Global is a Netherlands-based public-private partnership (PPP) that brings together experts in science, business, policy, and society to make feasible, affordable, and necessary solutions to curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally. AMR is an urgent global health problem. Drug-resistant microorganisms already account for an estimated 700,000 deaths a year globally, a figure that could rapidly increase to 10 million deaths each year by 2050 if no action is taken. A comprehensive global strategy towards solving AMR is needed to achieve equitable health, which is one of the main objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Netherlands has effective models for AMR stewardship and a strong track record of research and innovation in the prevention and reduction of AMR, as evidenced by its low AMR prevalence when compared to other countries in the EU and globally. AMR-Global works to improve infection prevention and control, access to improved diagnostics, antimicrobial stewardship, and access to effective antimicrobial drugs and vaccines, tested in real-world settings.

The recently awarded GLORIA program aims to reduce and prevent inappropriate exposure to antibiotics, in order to prevent the development of antibiotic resistance, through two lines of research. The Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD) and the Amsterdam UMC will lead the first line of research focused on understanding and generating evidence on the impact of rotavirus vaccination (RVV) on antibiotic usage in infants in Africa. This research project is called Rota-Biotic and is led by AIGHD Research Fellow, Dr. Vanessa Harris. The second line of research entitled BIOBAC (Biomarker driven diagnosis of bacterial infections), is led by Levels Diagnostics, and will develop and test a biomarker panel to distinguish bacterial from viral infection.

These research and innovation initiatives should leverage the Netherlands’ strong position to curb the silent pandemic of AMR, not only to sustain the current low national prevalence status but also from a European and global health perspective.