Antibiotic resistance infections in Covid patients
November 28, 2020
I received a call this week from a colleague telling me about outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients occurring in US hospitals. Thankfully, with emergency approval from the US FDA, phages have already been used to treat several of those, with the phages being donated by Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, a company that maintains a "bank" of phages they can rapidly deploy when needed.
My colleague knew that one of Phages for Global Health's long-term goals is to help scientists in Africa and Asia establish similar phage banks in their countries so they can quickly respond to antibiotic-resistant outbreaks. Thus, he wondered if I could help brainstorm how such an emergency effort might be sustainably funded in the US. This is an example of the global reach of our work, recognizing that all nations are intricately connected, especially when it comes to infectious diseases.
Indeed, our work involves more than delivering laboratory training workshops in Africa and Asia, though that's an important first step.
(Image of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria grown during our January 2020 phage workshop in Tanzania)
We're also:
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Partnering with scientists in Africa & Asia to develop phage products
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Providing information to drug regulatory officials there, with the goal of better enabling them to oversee phage applications
Importantly, our work is focused in Africa and Asia since 90% of the deaths from antibiotic resistance are expected to occur there.
Please consider supporting this life-saving work. For one day only, Tuesday, December 1, matching funds will be available for donations received through our GlobalGiving webpage. Your contribution can help our global community prepare for a future pandemic.
With thanksgiving and hope,
Tobi Nagel, PhD - Founder & President
Prof. Martha Clokie of the University of Leicester (UK) and Dr. Tobi Nagel meeting with Prof. Ibok Oduro, Provost of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (Ghana), during our 2019 West Africa Phage Workshop