Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a top public health threat and national security issue. As antimicrobial resistance grows, it will create increasingly complex challenges in the hospital, the lab, on the farm and in communities. A multifaceted problem like AMR requires a multidimensional approach, and microbiologists must be a part of the solution.
ASM Policy Recommendations
We recommend the following steps for policymakers that prioritize science and the roles of microbiologists:
Support innovative research into antimicrobial resistance to better understand the science of microbes, how resistance emerges and is spread and how pathogens react to countermeasures.
Champion bold solutions to the challenging antimicrobial marketplace and work with regulators to create a straightforward approval pathway for antimicrobials and other countermeasures.
Support and strengthen the microbiology workforce in public health, laboratory, veterinary and research settings.
Address data modernization to ensure that testing and tracking in humans and animals keeps pace with rapidly evolving microorganisms.
Improve detection models, especially rapid detection, for antimicrobial resistance to identify outbreaks before they spread, whether on the farm, in the hospital or in communities.
Foster stewardship models for antimicrobial prescribing that ensure the right person, animal or crop gets the right drug for the right infection while preserving the effectiveness of currently available antimicrobials long term.
Harmonize domestic and global policy frameworks to bolster antimicrobial stewardship and increase lab capacity in low- and middle-income countries, in coordination with the °®¶¹´«Ã½ Nations, the World Health Organization and global partners.
Promote and fund efforts with partner countries to develop a global assessment of AMR and provide technical assistance to researchers navigating global research frameworks.
