Educate. Advocate. Act now.
AMR is a critical global health challenge, threatening the effective treatment of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi. It endangers progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in controlling communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases.
The World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR and promote best practices among One Health stakeholders to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. WAAW is celebrated annually from 18 to 24 November. The theme for the World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024 is “Educate. Advocate. Act now.”
2024 was an important year for tackling of AMR. Both the UNGA High-level Meeting on AMR and the fourth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance took place in 2024 and they served as critical platforms to secure political and financial support for the global AMR response. Global leaders have approved a political declaration at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on AMR, committing to a clear set of targets and actions, including reducing the estimated 4.95 million human deaths associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance annually by 10% by 2030. Targets include:
Human Health:
- By 2030, 70% of antibiotics used globally in human health should be from the WHO Access group to reduce AMR risks.
- By 2030, 100% of countries should provide WASH services in all healthcare facilities, and 90% of countries should meet WHO IPC standards.
- Investments should be in place to ensure equitable access to antimicrobials, and AMR surveillance needs to be improved.
Agriculture and Animal Health:
- By 2030, meaningfully reduce the quantity of antimicrobials used globally in the agri-food systems by prioritizing and funding the implementation of measures to prevent and control infections and ensuring prudent, responsible and evidence-based use of antimicrobials in animal health.
Environmental Impact:
- Prevent and address antimicrobial pollution in the environment, with calls for increased research and knowledge on environmental dimensions of AMR.
The declaration also calls for sustainable national financing and US$100 million in catalytic funding, to help achieve a target of at least 60% of countries having funded national action plans on AMR by 2030. This goal is to be reached through, for example, diversifying funding sources and securing more contributors to the Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
The Growing Burden of AMR
In 2019, 4.95 million deaths were linked to drug-resistant bacterial infections, including 1.27 million directly due to AMR, with a significant portion affecting children under five. The projected global health impact includes an estimated loss of 1.8 years in life expectancy by 2035 without stronger interventions. Developing countries, particularly in the South-East Asia Region (SEAR), are heavily affected. The economic cost of AMR is forecasted to reach US$3.4 trillion annually by 2030, alongside losses in productivity and livestock production.
The Situation in SEAR
In the South-East Asia Region (SEAR), four million people died in 2019 due to sepsis as an immediate or intermediate cause of death. Of these deaths attributed to sepsis, between 0.39 and 1.41 million people died because of bacterial AMR.
Countries in SEAR have been proactive in addressing AMR, with all 11 Member States developing National Action Plans (NAPs) for AMR. Despite early recognition and commitments through the 2011 Jaipur Declaration, implementation remains fragmented due to limited resources, weak regulations, and challenges in multisectoral coordination, especially in the animal and environmental health sectors.
Key challenges include insufficient financial and technical resources, particularly in the animal and environmental health sectors, and the lack of specific actions with measurable outcomes within NAPs, which hampers progress tracking and accountability.
Sri Lanka’s Response to AMR
Sri Lanka has developed a revised National Strategic Plan and Action Plan (2023-2028) to tackle AMR, focusing on strengthening primary healthcare system, improving access to diagnostics and rational use of antibiotics, and raising public awareness. Efforts also aim to enhance collaboration across sectors, including agriculture, to mitigate AMR’s rise. However, challenges persist, such as enforcement of regulations and addressing misinformation.
The One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health, is essential for effective AMR containment. Strengthening primary healthcare system at the community level, including better training for health workers, supply chain management, and access to diagnostic tools, are pivotal to controlling AMR in Sri Lanka.
In 2024, the Ceylon Medical Journal (CMJ) has published a special issue of the journal on AMR with the purpose of better understanding and tackling the AMR issue, particularly in the context of developing countries. On behalf of the Health Minister of Sri Lanka, the permanent representative to the UN tabled it at the UNGA high-level meeting, which is an important contribution of Sri Lanka to the knowledge base on AMR.
The United Kingdom and Sri Lanka signed an Memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 22 October 2024 to respond to global threats of antimicrobial resistance through the Fleming Fund program. The Fleming Fund Country Grant for Sri Lanka will focus on strengthening the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Antimicrobial Use (AMU) surveillance systems in both the human and animal health sectors. It will facilitate a stronger One Health approach to surveillance, bringing together multi-sectoral stakeholders to share surveillance data and gain a better understanding of AMR and AMU.
While significant progress has been made, particularly in Sri Lanka and the SEAR, AMR remains a pressing global issue requiring continued vigilance, stronger regulations, public education, and international cooperation.
Activities conducted with WHO support in 2024
WHO supported the Ministry of Health to develop a-two-year operational plan of the National Strategic Plan for combating AMR 2023-2028, conducted a costing exercise for prioritized activities and assisted the MoH to enhance surveillance program for anti-microbial resistance in Sri Lanka.
During 2024, WHO has provided support to the MoH to strengthen Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to support the data reporting to the WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS). This will support Sri Lanka to create a cohesive and interoperable data management infrastructure that supports the entire spectrum of laboratory services.
For World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024, WHO will assist the MoH to organize Quiz and Drama competitions on AMR among medical students and develop video clips to promote AMR awareness among the public.