Antimicrobials are the cornerstone of modern medicine that treat millions of people worldwide. They are used in the treatment of minor and potentially life-threatening infections in humans and animals. They are used in support of surgery and modern cancer therapies. Organisms that become resistant to antimicrobials mean that treatments are less effective, causing harm to humans and animals. Resistant organisms spread through people, animals, food and the environment, creating a major public health threat.
In 2015, Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) endorsed a Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (GAP), which includes five strategic objectives that, taken together, offer a framework for national action plans (NAPs) to combat AMR over the following decade. A year later, in 2016, the GAP was reaffirmed as the world’s blueprint for tackling AMR during the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, where 193 Heads of State adopted resolution A/RES/71/3, which included a high-level political declaration committing countries to support and implement the GAP at national, regional and global levels.
The UK was one of the first countries to establish a National Action Plan (NAP) on AMR, with a strategy and action plan in place as early as 2000. In 2013, we reinforced our NAP approach with a One-Health perspective and published our first fully integrated five-year strategy for tackling AMR across human and animal health. The 2013–2018 AMR strategy committed the UK to action in seven key areas, including infection prevention and control, prescribing practice, professional education and public engagement, development of new and innovative treatment and technologies, surveillance, research and international collaboration.
To further underpin the UK’s 20 year vision on AMR, the 4 nations of the UK have subsequently collaborated and created 5-year National Action Plans,the first commencing in 2019 and the latest starting in 2024.
More information on the 2019 and the 2024 UK AMR National Action Plans and how they interact with SOHAR can be found in the links to the right of this page.