2020 Management Agent Update


Mott MacDonald has released its Annual 2020 Management Agent Update - 30 pages of graphs, stories and updates from our work around the world. This publication includes submissions from many of our partners and stakeholders and provides a snapshot of key accomplishments across the year.

Read the Activities section to find out more about how we supported laboratories and boosted data use.


Strengthening surveillance systems and laboratory capacity is the bedrock of the Fleming Fund programme. Without data from surveillance systems, the global community will struggle to respond to the AMR crisis. And to generate AMR data, laboratories must continually test a significant number of samples and be equipped with the right tools, training and technology to analyse results.

In 2020, we built key laboratory capacities across all of our countries, supported better engagement between clinicians and laboratory staff and encouraged national and international sharing of AMR surveillance data. We delivered state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, including blood culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing instruments and mass spectrometers to animal and human health laboratories, helping to improve testing quality and accuracy. We supported biosafety and biosecurity programmes, external quality assurance programmes and helped laboratories install information management systems to manage data and samples.

Read the Regional Profiles section to get views on key achievements from our Regional Coordinators and grantees.


Overall, our biggest achievement in 2020 was seeing state-of-the-art laboratory equipment delivered across all countries in the region, except in Zimbabwe. This was a major logistical challenge which we were able to overcome thanks to support from our procurement partner and several charter flights.

Patrick Mubangizi, Regional Coordinator East & Southern Africa

Read the Our Values sections to find out more how we apply alignment, One Health, country ownership and sustainability across the programme.


We ensure our funding aligns with key global frameworks, including the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on AMR, and we ensure not to duplicate other donors’ efforts.

Across Africa, the ongoing work of our whole genome sequencing grantee, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), has improved sequencing collaboration and alignment throughout the continent. The grant aims to build bioinformatics and genomics capacity across centres in South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria. However, following the onset of COVID-19, DTU were informed that multiple sequencing opportunities were becoming available across the continent with manufacturers, other donors and the Africa CDC.

DTU recognised the importance of coordination to avoid duplication, initiating a meeting with Africa CDC to divide viral and bacterial sequencing resources amongst CDC’s 55 member states. As a result, DTU began contributing to the CDC’s Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative which now operates as a coordinating body between various actors. This has allowed DTU to offer sequencing services to a larger number of countries. They have also offered virtual bioinformatics training and participation in an external quality assurance network (which is part of their grant) to all members of the Africa Genomics Initiative, beginning in 2021.


The full document is available here

View pdf (1.74 MB)

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Robust information management systems are essential for managing and analysing large volumes of data from AMR surveillance systems. In animal and human health, data must be quality assured, communicated from laboratories to clinicians, veterinarians, patients or farmers, and sent to national data coordinating centres. Data must also be interrogated at the regional, national and international level to explore AMR patterns and trends.

This update covers grant activity from April - June, 2020.