Madagascar Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) Project : Addressing the Growing Global Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance using a One Health Approach

Members of the regional and national Quadripartite supported the government of Madagascar through the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Multisectoral Coordination Committee (CMC) which represents different sectors and ministries to officially launch the AMR Multi-Partner Trust Fund (AMR-MPTF) project to raise awareness on the threat posed by AMR in the country. The AMR-MPTF project aims to promote increased integration and coordination within the quadripartite and to promote the One Health approach to tackle threats posed by AMR. Madagascar is the newest member of an elite group of countries within the Africa region who benefit from the AMR-MPTF project to catalyze AMR implementation across all relevant sectors in line with the One Health approach.

During the project’s inaugural events, from  20 to 24 March 2023 WHO Country Representative Dr. Laurent Musango gave the opening remarks where he highlighted the progress of the AMR National Action Plan for Madagascar, which was aligned with the Global Action plan.

On his part, Dr Mohamed Sirdar, AMR Programme Officer (WOAH) at the Sub-Regional Representation for Southern Africa, highlighted the role WOAH is playing in combatting the threat AMR within the region.

Also in attendance was the Deputy Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO) in Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros and Seychelles who lauded the “One Health” approach used in combating AMR in Madagascar and reiterated FAO’s commitment to actively participate in the fight against AMR. “FAO has a pool of experts at national, sub-regional and regional levels to support Madagascar in the fight against AMR and in the implementation of the project”  he added.

The AMR Ambassador for Sweden, Ms. Malin Grape also graced the occasion. She spoke both in her capacity as the Swedish AMR Ambassador and as a representative of the EU Presidency.  She shared some insights regarding AMR, its global perspective, and the efforts being made in this area by the European Union (EU).

According to Ms. Malin Grape, AMR is one of the goals of the EU Global Health Strategy, and this could be an opportunity for the EU and Madagascar to consider how to further operationalize this shared priority and interest. She also mentioned the Multi-Partner Trust Fund from a donor standpoint, emphasizing the significance of multilateralism in global health to combat common dangers and, more crucially, prevent future ones. She praised the One Health initiative and strategy, as well as the chance to reinforce a One Health approach through the upcoming Pandemic Fund. She urged all parties to keep working toward the successful completion of all activities and appreciated the attendance of the five Ministries and their officials. Finally, she expressed interest in a future visit to Madagascar to support the AMR agenda while also learning from the Madagascar experience.

Leveraging on the Antsirabe AMR Awareness Campaign, the regional Quadripartite members present in Antsirabe (FAO, WOAH and WHO) held a meeting on the 23 March 2023 to discuss ways to improve the overall coordination of the AMR MPTF Project at regional and country level. Members acknowledged the need for a more effective and sustainable approach to coordination as vital towards ensuring the sustainability of the AMR-MPTF Project and the effective implementation of AMR activities at regional and country level. The respective institutions present also provided an assessment of some important One Health AMR activities on the horizon and would require the cooperation of other regional Quadripartite members. .

The region’s planned AMR Progressive Management Pathway (PMP) exercises, the Governance and Multisectoral Coordination Leadership training, which will target four Small Island Development States, and preparations for the 2023 continental World Antimicrobial Awareness Week were also highlighted.

The successful application and award of the MPTF grant to Madagascar once again underscored the necessity and importance of strong collaborations and coordination based on the One Health approach as the only viable solution to  address a complex issue like AMR. The commitment by the country and regional level Quadripartite to continue cultivating strong collaboration was demonstrated throughout the whole process, from concept note development to complete proposal development and the launch.