At the Fleming Centre, Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust are driving solutions to antimicrobial resistance that are co-designed with patients, the public, and policy makers and underpinned by a rich and diverse evidence base. We are making behavioural science and public involvement the cornerstones of the radical change that’s needed to influence individual behaviour and policy decisions.
- Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham,
Executive Chair of the Fleming Initiative
An invisible health crisis
Antimicrobials are medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals, and plants.
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The microbes that cause infection can develop resistance to these medicines.
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Widespread misuse and overuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobials, from the food industry to the doctor’s surgery and the hospital bedside, has led to the global spread of drug-resistant microbes known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
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If we don’t tackle this problem, drug-resistant infections have the potential to become a global humanitarian crisis, responsible for at least 10 million lives lost yearly by 2050.
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Without action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, where a common infection or routine surgical procedure could become life threatening.
Mission Statement
To protect global populations from the threat of antimicrobial resistance, by working to translate innovation into practice through scientific, public engagement, behavioural change and policy measures.
Our vision
We aim to protect global populations from the threat of antimicrobial resistance through a people-centred and convergence science approach.
The Fleming Initiative offers an innovative approach to the challenge of AMR – combining research, behaviour change, public engagement, and policy to provide real-world solutions that work to protect the health security of local populations around the world.
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Prevention is better than cure – we need to develop sustainable solutions before mortality soars.
The time to act is now.
It is possible to control the spread of drug-resistance and keep antibiotics working. Many academic institutions, governments, and healthcare systems worldwide have been trying to solve this problem,
with limited success.
To meaningfully move the dial, we need new solutions.
The Fleming Initiative is uniquely positioned downstream of basic science to ensure the effective translation of basic science. Our approach is unique and enables us to go beyond existing work. This involves consolidation, collaboration, and innovation when it comes to scientific discovery.
We aim to bring together siloed research and datasets, collaborate with world-leading institutions and industries, and innovate to translate discovery.
But science alone cannot solve this problem.
Without collective behaviour change, new discoveries will not change the course we are on. We need the public, practitioners, and policy makers involved.
At the core of our initiative, is the transformative approach of co-locating diverse expertise and putting society at the heart of solving this crisis. Inspiring a global movement, it will bring together a world class academic community, policy, enterprise, and the public to scope, test, and scale solutions that are ready for implementation.
In this innovative new ecosystem – where clinicians work side by side with microbiologists, AI experts, behavioural scientists, and policymakers, and all connect with the public – powerful new ideas will emerge and thrive.
An initiative that delivers
The Fleming Initiative will draw on diverse expertise and public involvement to tackle antimicrobial resistance from all angles.
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We must raise awareness of antimicrobial resistance – its causes and solutions – to drive positive global change.
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We must change how people understand and use antimicrobials, using behavioural science-informed interventions.
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We must inform and champion diagnostic and policy innovation to help identify infections and ensure antibiotics are only given to those who need them.
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We must develop new ways to prevent drug-resistant infections, including protective vaccinations and novel surveillance of human, animal, and environmental threats.
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We must innovate on pathways of care for those infected with drug-resistant infections, including novel therapeutics strategies, by using artificial intelligence to leverage existing and new data sources.
The Fleming Centre
Due to open in 2028, The Fleming Centre will be based
at the historic St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London.
It will deliver pioneering research, innovative policy
solutions, and public engagement activities
to educate, inspire, and catalyse action.
The Centre will convene diverse global voices
and build consensus for change.
Scientists will work alongside patients, the public,
and policymakers to scope, test, and scale solutions.
Through these relationships, we will be tuned into
public hopes and fears about antibiotics and well placed
to co-create solutions that are high quality, relevant
and trusted.
By building awareness and implementing civic-led solutions
we’ll see a future where antimicrobials continue
to keep us all safe.
Our appeal to build
The Fleming Centre
We will not be able to offer the world a transformative solution to the antimicrobial resistance crisis without philanthropic support.
Accordingly, a significant fundraising effort is in motion to establish The Fleming Centre and the wider Fleming Initiative.
We have already established the credibility of our proposition:
as part of the 2023 Autumn Statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £5million in seed funding for
The Fleming Centre.
This funding will not only help to catalyse further investment but will also allow us to commence the early design process for a Fleming Centre on the St Mary’s Hospital site.
The Fleming Initiative is honoured and privileged that
His Royal Highness Prince William, Prince of Wales is
the Patron of our appeal to build The Fleming Centre.
As Patron, Prince William will support efforts over the next five years to make our ambitious plans to overcome global antimicrobial resistance a reality.
The announcement of Prince William's patronage acted as a springboard for the Initiative, significantly amplifying the reach of The Fleming Initiative's message.
Citizen engagement
The Fleming Initiative puts civic society at the heart of solving
the antimicrobial crisis, with patient and public engagement
and involvement being central to our work.
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The creation of a public exhibition and events space within
The Fleming Centre is at the heart of our engagement efforts.
This will be the engine room for our global citizen engagement campaign.
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Here, and through our outreach activities and digital channels, visitors can discover and contribute to the past, present, and future of antimicrobial research.
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Photo credit: Helena Dolby
Global reach
Infections don’t respect international borders.
Change must be implemented across the globe.
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Our ambition is that the transformative approach of
The Fleming Centre in London will act as a blueprint which
can be shared and adapted to local contexts around the world,
from São Paulo to Seoul.
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We envision international centres collaborating to develop
shared learning and supporting one another in the
development of policies and practices that are tailored
to their own regional context.
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In this way, we will create international networks
that help enable change.
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Photo credit: Helena Dolby.
