Second Rwanda Annual Symposium on Antimicrobial Resistance.
- ISHIMWE JEAN DE DIEU
- Dec 12, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 15, 2025
Kigali, Rwanda | 12 December 2025 Key national and international stakeholders convened at Sainte Famille Hotel for a high-level Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Symposium, hosted by the Infection Prevention and Control Rwanda Organization (IPCRO). The symposium brought together policymakers, researchers, development partners, academia, and the private sector to strengthen Rwanda’s coordinated response to AMR under the One Health approach.
The symposium was officially attended by the Director General of the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) under the Ministry of Health. In his concluding remarks, the DG reaffirmed RBC’s strong institutional commitment to supporting AMR research initiatives, noting their critical role in generating evidence-based solutions that enhance safety in healthcare facilities and communities.
He further proposed that preliminary findings from ongoing AMR research be showcased at the next symposium and recommended expanding future editions into a multi-day international conference to foster broader global collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Dr. Candide Tran Ngoc, representing the World Health Organization (WHO), highlighted WHO’s role in accelerating Rwanda’s implementation and monitoring of the National Action Plan (NAP) on AMR. She outlined key technical support areas, including AMR surveillance through GLASS, standardized global guidance, health workforce training, and benchmarking national progress against the Global Action Plan (GAP).
She also addressed the persistent challenge of limited resources, calling for innovative financing mechanisms to sustain AMR interventions.
AKIMPAYE Beatha, Division Manager for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement at REMA, emphasized that environmental protection is central to controlling AMR. She presented regulatory strategies for the safe disposal of unused, expired, and leftover antimicrobials from both human and animal sectors.
Her presentation also focused on regulating wastewater and hospital effluent treatment to prevent antimicrobial residues and resistant bacteria from contaminating rivers and soil, alongside environmental monitoring and impact assessments related to pharmaceutical waste.
Representing the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), Kenny NTWARI Bivegete discussed policies supporting One Health education, AMR research, and workforce development. She underscored the importance of strengthening AMR-focused research and innovation to generate local evidence for policymaking.
She further highlighted the role of universities in public and community awareness campaigns and shared policy recommendations for sustaining a skilled, multidisciplinary One Health workforce to effectively implement the NAP.
ISHIMWE Blaise Pascal, representing Pfizer, addressed the importance of investing in new antimicrobial research and development while accelerating access to essential, quality-assured medicines in Rwanda. He discussed the pipeline for new antibiotics and vaccines and outlined corporate policies such as differential pricing to ensure affordability of last-resort antibiotics, while maintaining strong antimicrobial stewardship.
Dr. Marie Claire NDAYISABA, a symposium representative, presented economic evidence demonstrating the heavy financial burden of AMR. She showed that investing in AMR prevention and control today offers a higher return on investment compared to the long-term costs of uncontrolled resistance on health systems and national economies.
Closing the symposium, Dr. Jean Jacques IRAKIZA, Chairman and Founder of IPCRO, expressed appreciation to partners and stakeholders for their continued collaboration. He emphasized that strong partnerships across sectors remain essential to advancing effective and sustainable AMR interventions across.
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