October 11, 2023
On October 11, 2023, the Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership – South Africa (GARP-SA) working group met for an in-person workshop in Cape Town. Dr. Erta Kalanxhi, OHT Fellow and Director of Partnerships, and Isabella Impalli, OHT Research Analyst attended the event. The GARP network, spanning 15 countries in Africa and Asia, was created by One Health Trust in 2008 – then the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy (CDDEP) – to enable country-led strategies and policies for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mitigation.
The workshop in GARP-SA aimed to convene AMR and immunization leaders to bring awareness to the vital role that vaccines play in fighting drug resistance. As a budding scientist, I was honored to be included in such an accomplished, renowned, and inspiring group of academics, scientists, policymakers, clinicians, and pharmacists, all stakeholders in the fight against AMR. Workshop attendees included GARP-SA Chair Dr. Adrian Brink, GARP-SA Coordinator Dr. Elloise du Toit, Dr. Sipho Dlamini, and Dr. Benjamin Kagina from the University of Cape Town; Dr. Sabiha Essack and Dr. Yogandree Ramsamy from the University of KwaZulu-Natal; Dr. Charles Feldman and Denasha Reddy from the University of Witwatersrand; Dr. Natalie Shellack and Dr. Alfred Kgasi from the University of Pretoria, Dr. Hannelie Meyer, Dr. Phumzile Skosana, Dr. Mncengeli Sibanda, and Dr. Andrew Musyoki from Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University; and Marione Schonfeldt from the National Department of Health. Dr. Suzanne Nzenze from the University of the Witwatersrand attended virtually.
Learn more in Isabella Impalli’s blog post.