Written by Ekta Patel
at a discussion during the CGAIR AMR hub launch event held at ILRI.
(Photo credit: ILRI/Paul Karaimu)
Dr. Sam Kariuki is the director of research and development at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) in Nairobi, Kenya and since 2010 has been a partner on ILRI projects. In 2009, the global antimicrobial resistance partnerships (GARP)- Kenya was started by the center for disease dynamics, economics and policy (CDDEP) to create a platform for developing actionable policy proposals on antibiotic resistance in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where Dr. Kariuki leads the Kenya program. As a researcher, his areas of interests include, surveillance and monitoring and characterization of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Kenya.
He describes AMR as a multi-sectorial problem, acknowledging that as one sector tries to control AMR, the other sector is neglected and there is an overall lack of coordination. He also points out that while government legislations to control aspects of use and access to antimicrobials have been put in place, there is a lack of enforcement and effective implementation. Kenya is a consumer of antimicrobials and most pharmaceutical products have been imported, however, the quality of the products has not been checked.
According to Dr. Kariuki, the CGIAR AMR Hub has been described, as the center of excellence, a first of its kind in the low- and middle-income country (LMIC) that will allow partners from all over the region to generate quality and reliable data.
Watch the full video interview here.
Read more on AMR in Kenya here
