From 18–21 November 2025, the AMR Knowledge Hub and Community of Practice of The Global Health Network convened over 400 healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers from more than 50 countries for a four-day World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW 2025) webinar series focused on examining strategies to mitigate antimicrobial resistance through a One Health lens. Expert panels representing Africa, Asia, Nigeria, and the Middle East and North Africa shared cutting-edge research, innovative surveillance approaches, and practical solutions to address one of the most pressing global health challenges.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS ACROSS ALL SESSIONS

Political Will Determines Success

Countries with strong, funded National Action Plans demonstrate measurably lower antimicrobial consumption and reduced AMR mortality. Sweden reduced penicillin resistance from 10% to 1%, while Germany achieved 57% reduction in veterinary antimicrobial use through sustained political commitment and adequate financing.

Diagnostic Infrastructure is Foundational

Reliable diagnostics are essential for appropriate prescribing and effective surveillance. Nigeria's limited laboratories serving 200+ million people and Africa's diagnostic gaps force reliance on empirical treatment, accelerating resistance development.

Gender Blind Spots in AMR Policies

86% of national action plans (125 of 145 reviewed) make no reference to sex or gender, a critical structural weakness. Women use more antibiotics across their lifetime yet receive fewer prescriptions during consultations, requiring explicit policy attention.

Innovation from Resource Constraints

• Palestine: Wastewater-based surveillance enables AMR monitoring in conflict-affected, inaccessible areas
• Nigeria: Open-source AI tools predict resistance trends cost-effectively
• Egypt: Built one of Africa's largest genomic collections, addressing global data gaps
• India: Kerala's model demonstrates successful intersectoral governance with systematic monitoring

Regional Realities

• Eastern Mediterranean: Highest and fastest-growing antibiotic consumption globally
• Sub-Saharan Africa: Bears disproportionate AMR burden with 1.27 million deaths annually
• Nigeria: Ranks 19th globally with 64,000+ direct AMR deaths yearly
• Asia: State-level action plans showing success, with Kerala leading implementation

One Health Integration is Essential

Cross-species transmission confirmed through genomics, antimicrobial use in animal agriculture, and environmental resistance reservoirs validates the necessity of coordinated action across human, animal, and environmental health sectors.

Global Solidarity Required

Resistant organisms respect no borders. Global health security depends on collective action, equitable financing, and supporting capacity building in resource-limited settings.

PROVEN SOLUTIONS HIGHLIGHTED

• Hand hygiene remains the most effective, cost-efficient intervention
• Operational research empowers frontline workers to generate local evidence
• Mandatory sex-disaggregated data improves policy design
• Regional sequencing hubs enable genomic surveillance without major infrastructure investment
• Surveillance networks transitioning from pilot projects to institutionalized programmes
• Countries with funded action plans demonstrate reduced AMR mortality

THE PATH FORWARD

These sessions revealed that the gap between knowledge and action persists not from lack of understanding but from insufficient political will and inadequate financing. AMR is causing millions of deaths NOW, not in some distant future. Cost-effective, proven interventions exist. The question is whether we will implement them at scale.

DOWNLOAD SESSION MATERIALS

Africa Session (Nov 18) - [Full Report, PDF 168.9 KB] | [Slide Deck, PDF 12.2 MB]
Asia Session (Nov 19) - [Full Report, PDF 197.1 KB] | [Slide Deck, PDF 6.3 MB]
Nigeria Session (Nov 20) - [Full Report, PDF 215.6 KB] | [Slide Deck, PDF 8.7 MB]
MENA Session (Nov 21) - [Full Report, PDF 240.0 KB] | [Slide Deck, PDF 24.5 MB]

Watch the full recordings of the webinar series on the AMR Knowledge Hub