Global action plan on antimicrobial resistance (2015)

At its sixty-eighth session in May 2015, the World Health Assembly endorsed a global action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including antibiotic resistance, the most urgent drug resistance trend.

AMR is occurring everywhere in the world, compromising our ability to treat infectious diseases and undermining many other advances in health and medicine. The goal of the Global action plan on antimicrobial resistance is to ensure, for as long as possible, continuity of successful treatment and prevention of infectious diseases with effective and safe medicines that are quality-assured, used in a responsible way and accessible to all who need them.

To achieve this goal, the Global action plan sets out 5 strategic objectives:

1. to improve awareness and understanding of AMR;
2. to strengthen knowledge through surveillance and research;
3. to reduce the incidence of infection;
4. to optimize the use of antimicrobial agents; and
5. to develop the economic case for sustainable investment that takes account of the needs of all countries, and to increase investment in new medicines, diagnostic tools, vaccines and other interventions.

The development of the Global action plan was guided by the advice of countries and key stakeholders, and based on several multistakeholder consultations at different global and regional forums. In the course of its development, the WHO Secretariat considered many existing plans, initiatives and activities. Information on these plans and activities is summarized and made available through the link below.