Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.
Overview Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing threat to global health, undermining the effectiveness of life-saving treatments and placing populations at heightened risk, whether from common infections or routine medical interventions. The WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) supports countries in building national surveillance systems and generating ...
Resistance is also more common and worsening in places where health systems lack capacity to diagnose or treat bacterial pathogens. “Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
Overuse and misuse, as well as lack of access, to quality-assured antimicrobials are the main drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). To address these, the World Health Organization provides practical guidance such as the WHO Integrated Antimicrobial Stewardship toolkit, evidence-based policy recommendations, and tailored country-level support to optimize antimicrobial use through the ...
Japan has made significant progress in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) over the past two decades. Initially, inadequate infection control measures led to widespread drug-resistant infections. Dr Norio Ohmagari and his team focused on improving diagnosis, treatment protocols, and raising awareness within hospitals. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to develop ...
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) happens when microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites) change when they are exposed to antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics).
On 15 April 2025, the ninth round of the Tracking Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Country Self-assessment Survey (TrACSS) began, for completion by June 2025. TrACSS is a key component of the global AMR monitoring and evaluation framework. Since its first iteration in 2017, TrACSS has enabled countries to assess their progress in implementing multisectoral AMR national action plans (NAPs ...