DTMT Network

Only 20% of the countries are actively monitoring the implementation of their National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR), a global survey of implementation of the Global Action Plan on addressing antimicrobial resistance reported.

AMR, popularly called drug resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites evolve and do not respond to medicines making infections harder to treat thereby increasing the risk of spreading diseases, severe illness and death.

The survey was jointly undertaken by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

163 countries took part in the survey, a statement by WHO said.

Only 50% of the counties surveyed, reported the existence of a multisectoral coordination mechanism for their NAP-AMR.

According to WHO, 86% of the responding countries confirmed developing the respective NAP-AMRs.

More than 60% of the countries have linked their NAP-AMRs to other health topics and plans.

Awareness generation was quite low with only 56% of the surveyed countries reporting to have conducted “small-scale AMR awareness campaigns” the statement by WHO clarified

Raising awareness on AMR: 56% of countries conduct limited and small-scale AMR awareness campaigns.

About 72% of the responding countries have systems to gather data at a national level for common bacterial infections among hospitalised patients.

In 53% of countries there is a standardised national AMR surveillance system that is aligned with Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) requirements, the statement added.

Of around 107 countries that are enrolled in the GLASS, 64 countries reported data on bloodstream infection caused by E. coli resistant to 3rd generation cephalosporins, while only 59 countries reported data on bloodstream infection caused by and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, WHO said.

23% of the countries have no system in place to monitor data of antibiotic use by their population for human health issues, the statement added.

Currently, 36% of the countries, have adopted the AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) classification of antibiotics in their national essential medicines list up from 26% reported last year, the statement concluded.