The iAIMS Project

The iAIMS visiting team from the UK

UK CwPAMS Team

A session with the iAIMS team fom the UK at the NICU Hospital Boardroom

Knowledge sharing and mentorship

A collaborative meeting with the iAIMS team from the UK

Welcome to the iAIMS Project

Transforming LRRH’s laboratory through collaborative efforts

The integrated antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention and control and microbiology services (iAIMs)

Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Research Administration (SICRA) located at Lira Regional Referral Hospital (LRRH) in Northern Uganda and the University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) NHS Foundation Trust, UK have worked together under the CWPAMS programme since its second phase in 2023, transforming LRRH’s laboratory through collaborative efforts. The project was led by key personnel from both institutions and implemented by the stream leads including the Microbiology Lead, Pharmacy Lead, and the IPC Lead at LRRH. With collaboration from the Ministry of Health, Infectious Disease Institute (IDI) and international partners, the integrated antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention and control and microbiology services (iAIMs) project provided a holistic solution to address the gap, evolving into a model for strengthening health systems with significant impact and scalability.

Designed and embedded within the LRRH system, the iAIMS project has had tangible impact on the AMS, IPC and microbiology functions at LRRH, and mobilized urgency against AMR in the Lango sub-region.

The iAIMS project introduced quality improvement initiatives to upgrade the laboratory services at LRRH, particularly:

The visiting team from UK

CwPAMS

1.)Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) training enabled the laboratory to track consistency, identify training gaps and notably enhance test result quality, resulting in significant increase in end-user satisfaction to 93.4%

2.)The project implemented awareness and engagement initiatives, including Lab-clinician interface initiatives, to foster a collaborative culture that prioritizes diagnostics to enhance patient care. Additionally, community health awareness campaigns were conducted through 16 radiobroadcasts and a symposium, targeting community gatekeepers to raise awareness about AMR and gather their insights on mitigation strategies.

3.)LRRH’s inaugural antibiogram has improved tracking of antibiotic resistance patterns, driving policy changes to limit antibiotic use. This data driven approach informed the Ministry of Health and National Medical Stores to prioritize cost-effective antibiotics in the 2023/2024 procurement.

4.)Through the Africa- Leadership Fellowship (ALFA), the project supported at least one ALFA fellow who has gained leadership expertise, becoming a national champion for AMS. On site mentorship of the different workstream leads through health partnership further supported the integration of innovative practices within the team.

5.)Microbiology services uptake has been on the rise as demonstrated by a surge in microbiology samples especially for culture and sensitivity, from 314 samples in 2021 to 1,391 samples in 2024, and now to 200-300 samples monthly thanks to the enhanced clinician engagement and community awareness.