The Microbiology Society has expressed concern over the UK Government’s decision to cut funding to the Fleming Fund, a flagship global health programme working to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
The Fleming Fund is the world’s largest aid-funded initiative focused on AMR surveillance and capacity building. These cuts threaten to undermine vital progress in one of the most pressing global health challenges of our time.
AMR is one of the top global public health and development threats. It is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths. Robust global surveillance systems are essential to detecting the emergence and spread of resistant pathogens. High-quality, timely data helps clinicians prescribe antibiotics appropriately, informs national policies and enables global tracking of resistance trends.
The Microbiology Society is urging the UK Government to reaffirm its leadership in global health by reinstating and committing to long-term, sustainable funding for AMR surveillance. Addressing AMR requires decades-long investments, not short-term fixes. Halting programmes midstream not only wastes existing investment but also weakens international prevention and preparedness efforts to tackle this global crisis.
The recent publication of the Life Science Sector Strategy underscores the Government’s ambition to position the UK as a global life sciences superpower. However, cutting support to critical programmes like the Fleming Fund is at odds with this vision. Sustained international collaboration and investment in global health security, including AMR surveillance, are crucial to deliver on the commitments outlined in the strategy.
Dr Catrin Moore, Reader in Global Health and Infectious Diseases at City St George’s, University of London, co-Chair of the Microbiology Society’s Knocking Out AMR project, and co-Chair of the Society’s Impact and Influence Committee, said: “The UK has always been exceptional in supporting Global Health research and capacity building, truly building equitable collaborations. The Fleming Fund is world-leading and a showcase for all the best that UK and LMIC researchers do collaboratively to combat AMR. It’s devastating that the rug is being pulled from under our feet just as we are starting to see the fruits of our work and sustainable partnerships are just beginning.”