WHO: The fight against antimicrobial resistance and investing in infection prevention and control (2023)

Summary

Antimicrobial agents, such as antibiotics, are essential to treat some human and animal infectious diseases. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microorganisms change so that they are no longer affected by antimicrobial drugs used to treat them. There are different types of antimicrobials, which work against different types of microorganisms, such as antibacterials or antibiotics against bacteria, antivirals against viruses, and antifungals against fungi. Antimicrobials are often used incorrectly. The development of resistance is accelerated by the inappropriate use of these drugs, for example, using antibiotics (which help to treat bacteria) for viral infections like flu, or as a growth promoter in agriculture. Because of growing resistance, the world is running out of effective antibiotics to treat infectious diseases. Unless appropriate action is taken, decades of progress in health and medicine risk being undone.

In May 2015, the World Health Assembly (WHA) endorsed a global action plan on AMR and urged all WHO Member States to develop national action plans (NAPs). The Seventy-third session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe launched the new European roadmap on AMR (2023–2030) to help accelerate the implementation of national strategies on AMR.

The new brief from WHO Regional Office for Europe highlights the important connections between AMR infection prevention and control.