URMAPha

🌿✨ URMAPha of the University of Abomey-Calavi organized, within the framework of the MINNAGAN Project funded by the European Union, Erasmus+, and partner universities, a major co-creation workshop dedicated to the future of traditional medicine in Benin.

Internationally coordinated by Professor Leena Hanski from the University of Helsinki (Finland), this landmark event benefited from the national leadership of Professor Victorien Dougnonus (University of Abomey-Calavi), Professor Jean Robert KLOTOÉ (UNSTIM – Abomey), and Honorary Minister Professor Christine OUINSAVI (University of Parakou), with the active contribution of Dr. Eric Agbodjento, MINNAGAN Project Leader in Benin.

📍 Held on February 20, 2026, at URMAPha-UAC, the workshop brought together, in a highly inclusive and participatory approach, three key groups of stakeholders:

🔹 Traditional medicine practitioners, represented by their national umbrella organizations:
FANAMETRAB, UOSMT, FeNaMeTraB, FENAVPraMETRAB, Korede Culture International, and FENAPROMEN.

🔹 Policy makers, through the participation of the National Program for Pharmacopoeia and Traditional Medicine of the Ministry of Health of Benin.

🔹 University lecturers, researchers, and scientific experts in the field.

💡 This high-level exchange platform successfully achieved its objectives:
✅ Participatively identifying priority training themes in traditional medicine and phytomedicine;
✅ Co-designing structured training contents and modules tailored to the real needs and working conditions of practitioners.

✨🤝 This activity represents a decisive step toward the professionalization, safety, and modernization of traditional medicine in Benin, through a strong synergy between endogenous knowledge, scientific research, and public policies.

🌍 The MINNAGAN Project once again confirms its role as an innovative framework for international cooperation, strengthening capacities, promoting local resources, and sustainably improving healthcare delivery for the population.

👏 Congratulations to all participants for their outstanding commitment to building an integrated, efficient, and sustainable health system grounded in both scientific and cultural excellence.

🌿✨

Retour sur la Journée du Bon Usage des Antibiotiques !
​L’URMAPha Université d’Abomey-Calavi est fière de célébrer l’engagement de la jeunesse scientifique et de la communauté universitaire dans la lutte contre la résistance aux antimicrobiens ! 🛡️💊
Le Club RAM, véritable fer de lance de cette sensibilisation au sein de l’EPAC UAC-UAC mis en place sous l’initiative de l’URMAPha Université d’Abomey-Calavi et porté par la vision du Dr (MC) Victorien Dougnonus, Directeur de l’EPAC UAC, a organisé ce samedi 14 Février 2026, la journée pour le bon usage des antibiotiques.
Avec un programme riche et impactant, la journée a été rythmée par des échanges de haut niveau. L’URMAPha Université d’Abomey-Calavi remercie les participants, notament le Dr Hornel KOUDOKPON (Co-fondateur du Club RAM), le Dr Kossi Brice Boris LEGBA, Ph.D (Chef de l'URMAPha Université d’Abomey-Calavi par intérim), le Dr (MC) Gatien LOKOSSOU (Chef du Département de Génie de Biologie Humaine), les enseignants de l’EPAC, Dr (MC) Tatchémè Filémon TOKPONNON, Dr Roland C. HOUESSOUVO, Dr Salomon E. Mahougnon FIOGBE et tous les étudiants mobilisés pour la lutte contre la RAM.
​L’URMAPha Université d’Abomey-Calavi félicite également les lauréats du prix de poster scientifique visant la sensibilisation sur le bon usage des antibiotiques et la lutte contre la RAM.

​Ensemble, protégeons l'efficacité de nos antibiotiques pour les générations futures.
​Bravo à tous les organisateurs, aux conférenciers et aux étudiants mobilisés ! 👏✨

URMAPha is proud to share that our colleague Dr. Gildas Hounmanou is in The Gambia this week participating in the AREF Leadership Programme hosted at MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM.

Dr. Hounmanou is onboarded by the Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) in recognition of his strong track record in research excellence, leadership, and long-standing commitment to capacity strengthening across African institutions. As a member of the APTI3 cohort, he joins a network of outstanding scientists working to ensure that African researchers are at the forefront of generating solutions to African and global health challenges.

The programme focuses on developing leadership skills, building equitable partnerships, and translating knowledge into impact for communities. We are confident that the experience and connections built during the week will further strengthen our unit’s work in One Health, microbial genomics, and training of the next generation of scientists.

We are still rocking...

🌍🤝Visit of our partners from the University of Copenhagen (Københavns Universitet)
🧬💊 A week rich in exchanges and concrete actions to identify key drivers and strengthen the fight against antimicrobial resistance, particularly in community settings.
As part of the AMR project, “Uncovering drivers of antimicrobial resistance and use to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship in Lake Nokoué communities,” an extension of our BENIN HEALTH project « (Developing an early warning and response system for climate-sensitive waterborne disease outbreaks in Benin | IDRC - International Development Research Centre (IDRC)) » funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) through the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) programme, we had the honor of welcoming two of our partners from 02 to 09 February 2026.
This project, which started the end of last year for a duration of 12 months, continues to strengthen our actions in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, particularly in community settings. The working week, conducted under the coordination of Prof. Victorien Dougnonus, Project Coordinator and Director of EPAC UAC, focused on:
· A general presentation of the project, clarification of objectives and activities, and rigorous planning of the planned activities;
· Revision and validation of working tools following several pre-tests in real-life settings;
· Meetings with key stakeholders to be involved in the project’s activities.
· Field visits
This visit made it possible to strengthen our collaboration, define pathways to achieve the project’s objectives, and reinforce our shared commitment to identifying the factors that sustain antimicrobial resistance, as well as the determinants of improved antimicrobial use in community settings in Benin.
URMAPha Université d’Abomey-Calavi warmly thanks its partners, as well as all the stakeholders and team members (Dr. Arnaud SOHA, Dr. Kevin Mael P. Zinsou Sintondji, Dr. Kossi Brice Boris LEGBA, Ph.D, Dr. Gildas Hounmanou, PhD, Amalie Schroll) involved, for their availability, expertise, and continued commitment.
🔬📊 Together, through strong collaboration and shared expertise, we are moving toward healthier, more resilient, better informed, and better protected communities against antimicrobial resistance.

Échanges entre la Direction de l’EPAC et les aspirants (enseignants-chercheurs) déployés à l’EPAC/UAC par le MESRS, axés sur l’intégration et les orientations académiques. La Direction a exprimé, le mercredi, 4 février 2026, sa reconnaissance aux Autorités de tutelle pour leur sensibilité au plaidoyer de développement humain de l'EPAC. Elle a félicité les lauréats, leur a prodigué des conseils et exprimé ses attentes. Bienvenue à nos valeureux collègues.