Bacteriophages are viruses that selectively target and kill bacteria. These common natural entities can destroy bacteria that are resistant to drugs such as antibiotics. Phage therapy holds considerable potential as a tool in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which poses a significant global health threat. AMR leads to increased morbidity, mortality and health-care costs.
Addressing AMR requires a multifaceted approach that considers human, animal and environmental health, known as the One Health approach. Bacteriophages offer a promising alternative or adjunct to traditional antibiotics. However, the potential broader adoption of phage therapy requires robust evidence to support its efficacy, safety and feasibility across One Health sectors.
The eastern part of the WHO European Region has a long history of using phage therapy and extensive experience in this area. The George Eliava Institute of Bacteriophages, Microbiology and Virology in Georgia is the world’s oldest centre for bacteriophage research and application.
This series of 3 webinars, led by WHO/Europe in collaboration with the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Development Hub, aims to accelerate evidence development to progress towards the application of bacteriophages within the One Health framework.
The first webinar will focus on the opportunities and challenges facing the application of bacteriophages for human health. The objectives are to:
- explore the current state of knowledge and evidence gaps regarding the use of bacteriophages for clinical application;
- discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with the broader implementation of phage therapy in human health settings; and
- identify strategies for building the evidence base to support the broader use of bacteriophages as a tool in the fight against AMR.
The webinar will feature the following speakers:
- Dr Radu Botgros, European Medicines Agency
- Dr Mariam Dadiani, George Eliava Institute (Georgia)
- Dr Mercedes González Moreno, INCATE
- Dr Frédéric Laurent, Croix-Rousse Hospital (France) (moderator)
- Dr Shawna McCallin, Balgrist University Hospital (Switzerland)
- Dr Jean-Paul Pirnay, Queen Astrid Military Hospital (Belgium).
Register for the webinar via the link.