The COMBAT-AMR in Africa Network (Comprehensive Multi-Centre Bioinformatics-based Action to Tackle AMR in Sub-Saharan Africa) is an international partnership dedicated to strengthening the response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across the region. Funded by the ESTHER (HKP), German Hospital Partnerships Program, the network brings together six German departments specializing in infectious diseases and tropical medicine and their long-standing partner institutions at university and referral hospitals across five Sub-Saharan African countries.

Since its establishment in 2016, the network has aimed to combine clinical expertise, laboratory capacity, and scientific collaboration to curb the spread of AMR and advance evidence-based patient care.

Partner Sites

Each partnership between a German university hospital and its African counterpart builds on many years of cooperation in medical training, capacity development, and joint research.

Objectives of the Network

The COMBAT-AMR collaboration was initiated to join forces against the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance in Sub-Saharan Africa. The partnership focuses on strengthening the interface between microbiological laboratories and clinical departments, improving diagnostic accuracy, and ensuring evidence-based antimicrobial stewardship (AMS).

Key objectives include:

• Establishing a joint web-based surveillance and laboratory information system for AMR data sharing
• Enhancing communication pathways between microbiology labs and clinicians
• Building sustainable capacity in diagnostics, data management, and AMS strategies
• Promoting interdisciplinary training, workshops, and exchange programs
• Generating high-quality AMR surveillance data to inform clinical decision-making

Completed and Ongoing Projects

Through coordinated research and training initiatives, the COMBAT-AMR Network has implemented a number of impactful projects, including:

• E-Health Study
• Surgical Site Infections (SSI) Study
• Urinary Tract Infections and Pathogens Study
• COVERSO Study
• Screening Study of ESBL-producing Gram-negative Bacteria
• POC-AMR Study for the rapid detection of ESBL and carbapenemase-producing pathogens
• ISAVE Study: Improving Sepsis Assessment among Vulnerable Groups

These projects have contributed to a deeper understanding of AMR epidemiology, improved clinical pathways, and strengthened infection prevention and control capacities at African partner hospitals.

• Strengthening Capacity Through Collaboration
• Since its inception, the COMBAT-AMR Network has facilitated:
• Joint workshops and training sessions
• Coordinated clinical and laboratory interventions
• Shared bioinformatics pipelines and diagnostic platforms
• Collaborative scientific studies across multiple countries

By combining expertise, resources, and long-standing institutional partnerships, the COMBAT-AMR Network has become a cornerstone initiative in tackling antimicrobial resistance in Sub-Saharan Africa.