Almost 40 FORESFA Collaboration members, from 10 different countries in Africa, Asia, Americas and Europe, met at Jesus College, Oxford, from September 4 to 6, for the three-day conference.
FORESFA (Forensic Epidemiology and impact of Substandard and Falsified Antimicrobials) Collaboration members came from a range of fields including forensic and environmental sciences, genomic surveillance, archaeological sciences, representatives of the World Health Organization and the pharmaceutical industry
New collaborators from Staffordshire University, Cranfield University, University of Lausanne, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Bristol University and the Departments of Earth Sciences and of Archaeology and the Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance at Oxford University were also welcomed.
The FORESFA Project aims to improve understanding of the epidemiology of substandard and falsified (SF) antimicrobials and their impact on global public health. The project involves adapting and evaluating forensic tools to identify sources and trade routes of falsified antimicrobials. Collaborators are also investigating the public health impact of SF medicines to inform global policy and improve the global medicine supply.
During the meeting, working groups presented on their projects and plans for the final year of the Wellcome Collaborative Award were discussed in interactive sessions.