AMR is one area of focus within the WHO ‘One Health’ initiative. One Health is described as “an approach to designing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes”. One concern is that of 32 antibiotics in clinical development in 2019 across all infection categories, only six are classified as innovative.2,14
The One Health activities are providing strategic direction on AMR to countries, including how to respond, monitor, prevent, detect and manage the problem. Shaping this is the WHO Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, agreed in 2015, with aims that include increasing awareness of AMR, optimising antibiotic use, reducing the incidence of infection and strengthening surveillance and research.15,16
In June 2021, following a pilot programme in the UK, it launched three documents to support action against AMR using behavioural insights. The Tailoring Antimicrobial Resistance Programme (TAP) has a quick guide, a ‘toolbox’ with templates and a process poster.17