Grant: Catalyst Grant: Partnering for Impact - IPPH - Global Health

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to global health, projected to cause up to 10 million deaths each year by 2025 if not urgently addressed. In West Africa, AMR worsens existing health inequalities, limits access to effective treatment and weakens already fragile health systems. Although the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) developed a regional plan to fight AMR, many countries still face major challenges in putting these plans into action. These challenges include weak governance, limited accountability, fragmented monitoring, and the absence of an operational Community of Practice (CoP). This proposal-co-led by the West Africa Regional Coordinating Centre of the Africa CDC, Sociocapital, and the Regional Health Governance Study (RHGS)-seeks to strengthen how AMR policies are implemented across fifteen West African countries. It aims to build new partnerships amongst researchers, policymakers, civil society, and communities to make health policies more effective and inclusive. The research focuses on three key questions: what supports already exist for AMR policy integration, what barriers slow down progress, and what steps are needed to develop a shared regional framework for action. The study will unfold in three phases: first, a review and mapping of AMR policies and stakeholders; second, virtual consultations with governments, professionals, and community groups to identify barriers and enablers; and third, an in-person workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, to deliberate on the findings from Phase 1 and Phase 2 as well as launch a Community of Practice that will support ongoing collaboration. By producing shared tools such as policy briefs and communication materials, this proposal aims to strengthen the capacity of Africa CDC West Africa Regional Coordinating Centre to support West African states in coordinating their AMR efforts, make better use of evidence, and strengthen health equity across the region.