The Growing Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance: Governments Must Do More
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become unresponsive to drugs used to treat them. According to new research, the global response to AMR is inadequate, with countries’ national action plans focusing on policy design and tools for implementation instead of monitoring and evaluation. This lack of emphasis on monitoring and evaluation is of particular concern for low- and middle-income countries, which often depend on foreign philanthropic organizations for funding. The study, conducted by experts from the universities of Leeds, Edinburgh, and Hamburg, is the first to comprehensively assess the content of international AMR efforts and national action plans.
Governments Need to Strengthen Their Response to AMR
According to the research team, governments worldwide must strengthen their response to AMR. Professional training and education in human health, veterinary, and agricultural sectors were insufficient in many countries, with several lacking a sustainable workforce strategy to implement antimicrobial stewardship policies. The study found that of all the areas evaluated, accountability and feedback mechanisms scored the lowest, followed by education. Infection prevention and control were often recognized as a fundamental goal. Norway had the highest score at 85, followed by the US at 84 and the UK at 83. The lowest scoring countries were Ukraine and Sierra Leone at 29 points each, and Barbados and Micronesia at 28 points.
The Global Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance
AMR has become a defining challenge for global public health in the 21st century. In 2019, AMR was a factor in 4.95 million deaths worldwide, more than half of which were due. Without action, AMR could render many routine antibiotics ineffective and claim tens of millions of lives each year. The World Health Organization encouraged member states in 2017 to develop national action plans for addressing AMR, and over 100 countries have produced such plans, with some already being implemented. However, a global analysis of the content of these plans had not previously been carried out.
Improving the International Response to AMR
The research suggests that the international response to AMR and preparedness for anticipated challenges require improvement worldwide. Countries need to strengthen their responses to AMR by focusing on monitoring and evaluation, accountability and feedback mechanisms, and professional training and education in human health, veterinary, and agricultural sectors. Funding for action plan activities in low- and middle-income countries needs to become sustainable. Researchers also suggest that donor organizations must focus on longer-term commitments to ensure the success of the fight against AMR.
The Importance of Collaboration and Evaluation
AMR can only be successfully addressed through engagement with multiple sectors spanning human, animal, and environmental health. Infection prevention and control is fundamental, and international collaboration is crucial for success. Governments worldwide must monitor and evaluate their efforts to fight AMR adequately. To counter the growing threat of AMR, governments worldwide must urgently strengthen their responses with clearly defined, implementable, and sustainable action plans regularly reviewed for cost-effectiveness and impact.
Summary
According to new research, countries’ national action plans to address the threat of AMR focus on the design of policies and tools for implementation, rather than adequate monitoring and evaluation. Consequently, the international response may be inadequate to address the scale and severity of AMR. Of all the areas evaluated, accountability and feedback mechanisms scored the lowest, followed by education. Professional training and education in human health, veterinary, and agricultural sectors were insufficient in many countries. To counter the growing threat of AMR, governments worldwide must urgently strengthen their responses with clearly defined, implementable, and sustainable action plans regularly reviewed for cost-effectiveness and impact.
Strengthening the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a defining challenge to global public health in the 21st century. Without action, it could render many routine antibiotics ineffective and claim tens of millions of lives each year. Governments worldwide have developed national action plans to address the threat of AMR, but these plans often lack a focus on adequate monitoring and evaluation. They often depend instead on funds from donors and foreign philanthropic organizations. The following measures can help strengthen the worldwide response to the growing threat of AMR:
1. Focus on Effective Monitoring and Evaluation
National action plans need to focus on adequate monitoring and evaluation to ensure that they effectively address the threat of AMR. Governments need to regularly review their action plans for cost-effectiveness and impact.
2. Accountability and Feedback Mechanisms
National action plans should include accountability and feedback mechanisms that allow for stakeholder engagement and input. These mechanisms can also help raise public awareness of AMR and promote behavior changes.
3. Professional Training and Education
Governments need to prioritize professional training and education in human health, veterinary, and agricultural sectors to increase awareness of AMR and support the development and implementation of effective antimicrobial stewardship policies.
4. Sustainable Funding
Funding for AMR action plan activities in low- and middle-income countries needs to become sustainable. Donor organizations must focus on longer-term commitments to ensure the success of the fight against AMR.
5. International Collaboration
International collaboration is crucial for the success of the fight against AMR. Success in addressing AMR requires engagement with multiple sectors spanning human, animal, and environmental health.
Conclusion
Antimicrobial resistance is a pressing global health threat that requires a worldwide response. Governments need to strengthen their response to AMR by focusing on effective monitoring and evaluation, accountability and feedback mechanisms, professional training and education, sustainable funding, and international collaboration. By working together, governments, stakeholders, and NGO’s can help counter the growing threat of AMR and save lives.
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Governments around the world need to do more to tackle the growing threat of drug-resistant infections, new research suggests.
More than 100 countries have developed national action plans to address the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites stop responding to drugs designed to treat them.
The plans focus on the design of policies to curb AMR and the design of tools to implement the policies, but do not adequately take monitoring and evaluation into account.
The new research, carried out by experts from the universities of Leeds, Edinburgh and Hamburg, is the first large-scale analysis of these plans. They were designed with the support of the World Health Organization, which has declared antimicrobial resistance one of the top 10 public health threats facing humanity.
Lead author Jay Patel, an undergraduate dental student at the University of Leeds School of Dentistry, said: “Our analysis showed that countries were very focused on designing AMR policies and thinking about what tools would be needed to implement them, but They generally did not consider how they would monitor and evaluate the impact of those efforts.
“This suggests that the international response may be inadequate to address the scale and severity of AMR. This is of particular concern in low- and middle-income countries, where action plan activities often lack sustainable funding, depending instead on funds from donors and foreign philanthropic organizations.
“The available evidence also suggests that simply developing a national action plan does not necessarily mean that a country is more prepared to respond to the AMR threat.
“Our study shows that the global response to AMR and the preparation for the anticipated challenges of AMR require improvements in all parts of the world.”
The research team says that governments around the world need to strengthen their responses to AMR.
What is antimicrobial resistance?
AMR refers to changes in microbes, particularly bacteria, that make drugs used to treat infections less effective. AMR has become a defining challenge for global public health in the 21st century. In 2019 alone, AMR was a factor in 4.95 million deaths worldwide, more than half of deaths due to bacterial infections.
Without action, AMR could render many routine antibiotics ineffective and claim tens of millions of lives each year.
In 2017, the World Health Organization encouraged member states to develop national action plans stipulating how countries would address AMR. More than 100 countries have produced action plans, and several are being implemented, but a global analysis of the content of these plans has not been carried out.
Published in Lancet infectious diseasesThis new research is the first to comprehensively assess international antimicrobial resistance efforts and national action plans and generate comparable quantitative results across countries and regions.
The 114 action plans, which were created in 2020-21, were assessed against 54 elements such as education, stewardship and accountability, with each given a score out of 100. An average score of 100 was then taken for each country plan. of these results.
The results
The study found that across all plans, there was a greater focus on policy design and implementation tools, but efforts to monitor and evaluate activities are generally not adequately considered.
Of all the areas evaluated, accountability and feedback mechanisms scored the lowest, followed by education.
Professional training and education in the human health, veterinary and agricultural sectors were insufficient in many countries, and several lacked a sustainable workforce strategy to implement antimicrobial stewardship policies.
Countries scored well on participation, demonstrating a shared awareness that AMR can only be successfully addressed through engagement with multiple sectors spanning human, animal, and environmental health. Infection prevention and control was often recognized as a fundamental goal.
Norway’s response was the highest score at 85, followed by the US at 84 and the UK at 83. The lowest scoring countries were Ukraine and Sierra Leone at 29 points each, and Barbados and Micronesia at 28. points.
The research was funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Leibniz Association. JP, GF and DS are funded by the Wellcome Trust (106635/Z/14/Z). AH, WH and DD are funded by the Leibniz Association (SAS-2021-1-FZB). AJM provides consulting services to the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230605181244.htm
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