Advancing collaboration in Côte d’Ivoire: ComBac-Africa holds stakeholder workshop
On 1 October 2025, members of the ComBac-Africa consortium from Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire (IPCI) and Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte D'Ivoire (CSRS) hosted a stakeholder workshop at IPCI in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, which brought together leading representatives from national health institutions to strengthen collaboration in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and prepare the next phase of the project’s implementation in the country.
Sharing ComBac-Africa’s mission
Following a warm welcome address by Prof Offianan André Toure (Scientific Director of IPCI), Prof Benjamin Koudou (CSRS, WP6 lead) opened the meeting with an introduction to the ComBac-Africa project and its mission to improve the diagnosis and management of severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR GNB) in Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, and Nigeria. Over the next four years, the project will establish a needs-adapted diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship programme that integrates research, clinical innovation, and capacity building to combat the spread of AMR in the region.
Prof Kalpy Coulibaly (IPCI, WP2 Lead) continued the workshop with a presentation on ComBac-Africa’s Work Package 2, which focuses on assessing existing laboratory capacities across the project’s three partner countries. The goal is to develop standardised procedures and targeted training programmes to strengthen diagnostic performance and prepare for the project’s upcoming clinical trial. Prof Jean Coulibaly (CSRS) then outlined Work Package 6, which will support the implementation of this clinical trial. Over a 12-month period, newly developed, evidence-based therapeutic algorithms will be integrated in several hospitals to optimise treatments and improve outcomes for patients with infections caused by MDR GNB.
The workshop concluded with an open discussion, allowing participants to share their insights and perspectives on the project’s activities and implementation strategy.
Strenghtening regional collaboration
The meeting was jointly organised by several ComBac-Africa consortium members at CSRS and IPCI and brough together 25 participants from key organisations, including the Autorité Ivoirienne de Régulation Pharmaceutique (AIRP), the Comité National d'Éthique des Sciences de la Vie et de la Santé (CNESVS), the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universial Health Coverage, as well as representatives from the University Hospital of Cocody, the Military Hospital of Abidjan, the General Hospital of Port-Bouët, the Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales (SMIT), and the Centre de Santé Yopougon Millionnaire Extension.
In their closing remarks, Prof Serge Eholie (Head of the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Service (SMIT) and President of the National Security Board’s Medical Section), and Prof Syndou Meite (Director of IPCI), highlighted the strong spirit of collaboration among the workshop’s participants and noted that close partnerships between IPCI, CSRS, and key national and regional stakeholders will be crucial to advancing Côte d'Ivoire’s fight against antimicrobial resistance.
The meeting marked an important step in preparing for the rollout of ComBac-Africa’s activities in the country and helped lay the groundwork for the project’s next phase. In the months ahead, a follow-up meeting between IPCI, CSRS, and additional stakeholders will finalise the selection of study sites and define the operational framework for launching the clinical trial in Côte d'Ivoire – stay tuned!
