Traditional and Complementary Medicine (T&CM) is often used in both animal and human healthcare and may contribute to reducing inappropriate antibiotic use (e.g. as part of delayed prescription strategies (human healthcare) or as alternative prevention or treatment (e.g. for uncomplicated acute infections in both human and animal healthcare).
Ongoing project
However, there is as yet no global overview or network of research institutes and researchers working in this area and no broadly supported research agenda on T&CM alternative for antibiotics. We therefore aim to build such a network, in order to maximize exchange between research institutes, collaboration on projects and funding activities and to develop research agendas with sufficient support.
Aims:
- To develop a global “Traditional Solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance” network by mapping and connecting the research fields, research institutes, infrastructures and researchers in human and animal healthcare involved in research on T&CM
- To develop research agendas starting with at least one to three prioritized indications both in human and veterinary healthcare
- To prepare grant proposals for research projects and the continuation of the network after the JPIAMR project
- To communicate to relevant stakeholders the existence, activities and output (e.g. research agendas, website) of the Network, both online (report on website, webinars) and during an (online) international conference
Activities:
- Plenary and working group meetings: two ‘live’ meetings/ year if possible; otherwise via online video conferences. Telephone or video conference calls.
- Survey and interviews to collect information of research institutes (e.g. research fields, projects, infrastructure/ networks, databases, available technologies and resources, research capacities and areas that need strengthening)
- Communication through 3-monthly newsletters, website, congress and webinars
Expected results:
- A growing globally organized network of Traditional & Complementary Medicine (T&CM) and AMR/ infectious diseases research institutes, researchers in both human and veterinary medicine and global/ regional policy makers
- A website with accessible information on T&CM, regarding for example research institutes, research fields, projects, infrastructures/ networks, databases, available technologies and resources
- A supported research agenda on priority areas for research in both human and veterinary medicine
- Global communication on the contributions of T&CM (research) to AMR and prevention and treatment of infections
- Funding and sustainability: the network will facilitate collaboration between institutions with similar interests in order to prepare grant proposals which will enable the research agenda to be implemented, and the network to be sustainable after the end of funding from JPIAMR
Network partners
- Erik W. Baars, University of Applied Sciences Leiden, Netherlands (Coordinator)
This network includes 33 partners: Network composition (pdf)