2023 Winter lecture, World AMR Awareness Week and a trip to Brussels
November was a very busy month for Edinburgh Infectious Diseases with three big events occuring in close proximity to one another: the annual Winter Lecture, World AMR Awareness Week and the UK Mission to the EU One Health Fair in Brussels.
Edinburgh Infectious Diseases Winter Lecture 2023
This years lecture was delivered by Professor Sarah Cleaveland from the University of Glasgow. Professor Cleaveland's talk entitled 'One Health: Beyond Zoonoses' took place in the Anatomy Lecture Theatre to a large crowd. In Professor Cleaveland's presentation, she shared insights from a long-term One Health research programme in Tanzania, and discussed case studies in the context of broader issues that One Health can help to combat.
The talk was a great success with attendees praising Professor Cleaveland's topical presentation and her passion for the subject of One Health.
World AMR Awareness Week: Antifungal Resistance
World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) ran from the 18-24 November this year. WAAW is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR and promote best practices among One Health stakeholders to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.
EID's event, in conjunction with the Edinburgh AMR Forum, focused specifically on antifungal resistance with speakers from across Scotland and the U.K.
The event took place in the incredible Playfair Library and also featured posters from postgraduate students - it was a great way to mark WAAW 2023.
UK Mission to the EU One Health Fair
The University of Edinburgh was invited by the UK Mission to the EU to participate in the One Health Fair in Brussels on 22 November. The event was organisation to highlight One Health activities by UK universities and other institutions, to an audience of policy and decision makers. The University was represented by Till Bachmann (Centre for Inflammation Research), Ross Fitzgerald and Nat Ring (Roslin Institute), and Hilary Snaith (Edinburgh Infectious Diseases).
Alongside displays highlighting the broad spectrum of One Health activities in Edinburgh, Nat demonstrated how real-time, whole genome sequencing using Nanopore technology, can be used in diagnosis of infection to provide rapid treatment guidance. Visitors to the fair also saw how the DOSA project, led by Till Bachmann, has developed simple tests for urinary tract infections, which are now having a major impact on treatment and antibiotic use in parts of rural India.
The event attracted over 150 EU officials and decision makers, including Madda Henry Magbity, Policy Manager of the European Public Health Alliance and Secretariat for the MEP AMR Special Interest Group; Fergus Reynolds, Director of EU Public Affairs, Institute of Export & International Trade; Nancy De Briyne, Executive Director, Federation of Veterinarians of Europe; and Dr Christine Middlemiss the UK Chief Veterinary Officer.
Diagnostics for One Health and User Driven Solutions for AMR
One Health at the University of Edinburgh