New partnership between Lao PDR and the Fleming Fund

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The Fleming Fund joins up with Lao PDR to take steps that will tackle spread of drug resistant superbugs.

The Government of Lao PDR and the UK Government have agreed to a new project partnership today to accelerate the fight against drug-resistant ‘superbugs’ in Laos. This partnership will establish a comprehensive surveillance system for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial use (AMU) in both humans and animals.

Infectious diseases are evolving to survive exposure to the medicines that would normally kill them, such as antibiotics; this phenomenon is known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These microorganisms are often referred to as ‘superbugs’ and can result in treatment failure causing significant morbidity and mortality.

The Fleming Fund is managed by the UK Government, through the Department of Health and Social Care. Its aim is to improve laboratory capacity and diagnosis as well as data and surveillance of AMR through a ‘One Health’ approach in countries across South and South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. In order to effectively tackle AMR and ensure that patients have access to antibiotics that work, we need this surveillance data urgently.

Today a Memorandum of Agreement, supporting the establishment of Fleming Fund in Lao PDR, was signed between the UK and Lao PDR by the Minister of Health, Bounkong Sihavong and HE Ambassador Hugh Evans, in the presence of HRH Princes Beatrice of York.