Innovators come together in Bengaluru to find ways to ensure access to effective antibiotics 

The workshop aligned with the launch of the Trinity Challenge on Community Access to Effective Antibiotics, a new global innovation competition.

Healthcare leaders, researchers, tech specialists, and other experts came together at a workshop in Bengaluru on February 20 to explore two barriers to access to effective antibiotics — stock control and substandard or falsified oral antibiotics. These issues impact both human and animal health.

The workshop was organised by the Trinity Challenge, a charity supporting the creation of data-driven solutions to help protect against global health threats, and the One Health Trust to explore community access to effective antibiotics.

Talks by experts on the challenges of stock control on local and national levels, and potential ways to identify substandard and falsified medicines were part of the workshop. Delegates designed and tested ideas for solutions, presenting their prototypes. 

Professor Marc Mendelson, Director, Trinity Challenge, said the workshop was a dynamic step in addressing the problems which prevent communities getting access to appropriate, effective antibiotics.

Professor Ramanan Laxminarayan, founder and president of One Health Trust, said, “The workshop has been a powerful reminder that solving complex problems in global health requires a diverse cohort of skills and expertise. The ideas generated by our multi-disciplinary groups of delegates in only a short time show us that we need lateral, creative thinking to drive change on antimicrobial resistance.”

The workshop aligned with the launch of the Trinity Challenge on Community Access to Effective Antibiotics, a new global innovation competition. The charity is calling for data-driven solutions and has a prize fund of up to £1 million.