Antibiotic Drug use, Monitoring and Evaluation of Resistance in Ghana (ADMER) – a research capacity building project
Info
Start date: 1 November, 2009 End date: 31 December, 2015 Project type: Larger strategic projects (prior to 2013) Project code: 09-099SSI Countries: Ghana Thematic areas: Health, Lead institution: Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Denmark Partner institutions: University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Denmark Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS), Ghana Project website: go to website (the site might be inactive) Policy Brief: Policy Brief Project coordinator: Niels Frimodt-Møller Total grant: 9,183,798 DKK Project files:
2017-03-27_09-099SSI-Niels-Frimodt-MøllerProject summary
Antibiotic resistance is increasing world-wide with serious consequences for complications and mortality of hitherto treatable infections, and the main reason is misuse of antibiotics. The aim of this project is to apply prudent antibiotic use principles to Ghana. In a collaborative effort Ghanaian and Danish researchers will: 1) enhance the general knowledge on diagnostic microbiology, susceptibility testing, dosing of antibiotics, monitoring antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use, and qualify the antibiotics used via educational courses (WP1); 2) enhance the knowledge of antibiotic consumption both in and outside hospitals in order to improve rational use and availability of antibiotics (WP2); 3) monitor and qualify the antibiotics marketed and consumed by controlling their content and potency (WP3); 4) improve clinical microbiology services by enhancing the quality of existing laboratories and by further expanding the availability of microbiological diagnosis and susceptibility testing to primary care (WP 4); 5) Disseminate knowledge to all end-users and establish a national network on antibiotic use and resistance (WP5). A total of 8 PhD and 12 MSc thesis students will be educated and more than 6 post-doctoral research grants provided. All will be Ghanaian nationals. The project will provide a platform for continued research on antibiotic use and resistance. It will build the capacity and generate the research-based evidence needed to apply prudent antibiotic use.
Outputs
Project Completion Report:
The objectives of the ADMER project was capacity building mainly in the area of clinical microbiology with particular reference to antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use. All PhD projects were conducted as planned, and several master projects were accomplished also, which were spin-offs from the PhD projects. Data on antibiotic resistance in the main human pathogens in representative areas of Ghana(S. aureus, E.coli, S. pneumoniae, E. faecalis and Salmonella spp.) were obtained and published. Antibiotic sales in Ghana have been described, and quality of antibiotic drugs evaluated - showing major problems with active drug content in drugs sold from smaller pharmacies and peddlers. Improvement of laboratory methods such as antibiotic susceptibility testing were accomplished. Much of the data and other scientific knowledge generated by the project have been used to implement antibiotic policy issues in Ghana.
