Combating Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria in Africa through Diagnostic and Antimicrobial Stewardship (ComBac-Africa)
The ComBac-Africa consortium brings together partners from Africa and Europe with the mission to address the growing threat of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR GNB), which endanger human, animal, and environmental health. Sub-Saharan Africa faces some of the world’s highest burdens of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-related illness and death, yet diagnostic infrastructure remains limited and access to effective treatments is scarce.
To bridge these gaps, ComBac-Africa will develop a needs-adapted diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship programme in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, and Nigeria. This includes the implementation of diagnostic-therapeutic algorithms to support targeted treatment and equitable access to essential, often life-saving, antibiotics. A key component of the project is a clinical trial that will assess the real-world impact of this approach on improving outcomes for severe infections caused by MDR GNB.
Our Activities
Consortium
ComBac-Africa is coordinated by Prof Sören Becker from Universität des Saarlandes and brings together partners from several African and European countries and institutions, including:
Universität des Saarlandes, Germany
Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
Centre for Malaria and other Tropical Disease Care, Nigeria
Instituto Piaget, Portugal
Ministerio da Saúde Pública, Guinea-Bissau
Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi, Nigeria
Institut Pasteur de Côte d’Ivoire, Côte d’Ivoire
LINQ management GmbH, Germany
GARDP Africa NPC, South Africa
GARDP Foundation, Switzerland
Schweizerisches Tropen- und Public Health-Institut, Switzerland
Fondation pour un Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, Côte d’Ivoire
Recent News
On 18 November 2025, ComBac-Africa’s team at CEMTROD-UITH hosted a symposium for World AMR Awareness Week, highlighting the project’s mission to combat antimicrobial resistance in Sub-Saharan Africa.