Researchers at the University of St Andrews have been awarded a £2.8m grant from the Medical Research Council to tackle superbugs.

The cash will fund a three-year project known as Hatua - Holistic Approach to Unravel Antibacterial Resistance in East Africa.

University teams will work in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to develop new approaches to overcome antibacterial resistance in different environments.

It is hoped their work will lead to medical improvements that could help prevent the spread of infections.

Professor Matthew Holden from the university's School of Medicine is leading the project, which shares its name with a Swahili word for action.

He said: "I'm delighted to receive this funding which will bring together research teams from Africa, the US and the UK.

"We will be working in a part of the world with the highest burden of infectious diseases and therefore the greatest need for effective life-saving antibiotics.

"Our multi-disciplinary approach will piece together the factors contributing to the rise in resistance seen across the region. This will help to develop ways to stop the spread of resistant bugs, and keep antibiotics working."