Antimicrobial Drug Resistance
A world where infectious diseases can be prevented or
treated with safe, effective and accessible medicines
è A
 growing threat worldwide
 he discovery of antimicrobial medicines has saved
T  HO has submitted to the World Health Assembly
millions of lives.
However, these advances are now threatened by
increasing resistance of micro-organisms to our
most effective medicines.
è I mpact
Many infectious diseases are becoming harder and
sometimes impossible to treat.
Infectious diseases are more expensive to treat.
Infection with drug-resistant pathogens have a
higher fatality rate.
New forms of resistance rapidly spread worldwide
and outpace solutions.
5% of tuberculosis (TB) patients worldwide have multi-
drug resistant TB (MDR-TB). The cost of treating one of
these patients equals the cost of treating 100 patients
with susceptible TB.
In the United States of America it is estimated that at
least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result
of antibiotic-resistant infections.1 In the European Union
is estimated that drug-resistant bacteria account for an
estimated 25,000 deaths annually.2
è Mandate and mission
W
a global action plan on antimicrobial resistance
(AMR) with the goal of ensuring treatment and
prevention of infectious diseases with effective and
safe medicines.
• The AMR unit in PED will be working with countries to
develop national action plans on AMR.
• The unit supports country level assessment of capaci-
ties and priorities, implementation and monitoring
nad reporting of national AMR action plans
• As part of the global action plan, the AMR unit in PED
is implementing a global surveillance programme
to strengthen our understanding of resistance
patterns and to build the evidence base to guide
interventions to address AMR.
• The unit also facilitates the work of the WHO Global
Task Force on AMR, a collaboration across depart-
ments at headquarters and in WHO regional offices
working to address AMR.
1
Source: Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Antibiotic
Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013
2
Source: ECDC/EMEA Joint Technical Report The bacterial chal-
lenge: time to react
è Five strategic objectives Major achievements & ongoing activities

1. Raising awareness
So that… the world understands the threat posed by
AMR, and behaviour and practice can change.
2. Strengthening knowledge and evidence
So that… we learn how resistance spreads and can
develop effective policies and interventions.
• Developing communication strategies to improve awareness
across key sectors.
• Convening regional and global stakeholder consultations to
align strategies.
• WHO Global Report on surveillance of AMR, 2014.
• Developing of agreed surveillance standards.
• Fostering collaboration between AMR surveillance networks,
including animal health sector.
• Strengthening the quality of laboratory results (e.g. through
systems such as EQAS).

3. Reducing infection through improved sanitation and hygiene

So that… we can prevent the emergence and spread of
drug-resistant microorganisms in healthcare settings or in
the community.
• Developing standards to control spread and emergence of
AMR in healthcare settings.
• Developing AMR outbreak investigation and response tool.
• Developing guidance on implementation of infection
prevention and control programmes.

4. Improving the use of existing antimicrobial medicines

So that… we preserve their effectiveness for as long as • Promoting effective regulatory practices (e.g. concept of
possible. “critically important antibiotics” for human medicine).
• Reporting global trends on use of antimicrobials in humans.
• Collaborating with animal health sector, to monitor anti-
microbial use in animals.
• Supporting the development of WHO model and national
essential medicines lists.
• Supporting national authorities for equitable access to
antimicrobials of assured quality.

5. Developing the case for long-term investment

So that… new medicines become available to treat Convening global leaders in research and development to
infections, diagnosis is improved, and vaccines are foster innovation in medicines and tools.
developed to prevent infection.

WHO contacts
Dr Sylvie Briand
Director
Tel: + 41 22 791 2372
Email: briands@who.int

Dr Carmem L. Pessoa da Silva

AMR, Team Lead
Tel: + 41 22 791 2844
Email: pessoasilvacl@who.int or
amractionplan@who.int

More information is available on the WHO website:

http://www.who.int/drugresistance

The department of Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases (PED) develops

strategies, initiatives, and mechanisms to address priority emerging and
re-emerging epidemic diseases, including outbreaks, thereby reducing
their impact on affected populations and limiting their international spread.

© World Health Organization 2015. All rights reserved. version 1.0