Overview

The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is undermining modern medicine in Australia and around the globe.

AMR in Australia

AMR Action & Insights explores the complexity of antimicrobial resistance through a One Health lens, with a specific focus on Australia.

AMR is a global health concern affecting all sectors – but that doesn’t mean the situation is the same in every country.

So how does the situation in Australia differ from elsewhere in the world? In what ways are we better, or worse? And what advantages do we have that we can leverage?

What is AMR?

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a term referring to resistance to the various types of antimicrobial drugs, including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics. These drugs are used to treat bacterial, viral,  fungal, or parasitic infections.

This can happen when microbes are consistently exposed antimicrobials over a long time, allowing them to evolve and become resistant. Once resistance occurs, the drug is no longer effective at treating infections caused by that particular type of microbe.

The acceleration of AMR is mainly due to the overuse and misuse of antimicrobial drugs in human and animal medicine.

If we do not slow the rise of antimicrobial resistance, we will return to the dark ages of medicine where surgery becomes inherently risky and currently treatable infections and injuries kill once again.

AMR is one of the greatest threats facing humanity. More than 1.27 million people die each year from drug-resistant infections.

• Global healthcare costs increases from $300 billion to >$1 trillion per year.
• Deaths from infections that were previously treatable with antibiotics will exceed 8 million (more than cancer and diabetes combined).
• AMR will result in up to 7.5% global decrease in livestock production.
• A decline in global GDP of between 3.8-5%.
• An increase in 28.3 million people in extreme poverty.
• Global real exports shrinking by 1.1%.

Why isn’t there more action on AMR?

Many countries have National AMR Actions plans. The WHO has listed AMR as one of the top ten public health threats facing humanity. So why does it feel like things are moving slowly on AMR mitigation?

• Fragmented knowledge: Information about AMR is siloed within different sectors, resulting in an incomplete understanding of the issue and a limited approach to addressing it.
• Overlooked environmental impact: The environment’s critical role in the evolution, transmission, and mitigation of AMR is not well understood or adequately addressed.
• Lack of direction: The complexity of AMR and the broad range of potential actions can lead to indecision about where to focus efforts.
• Unclear responsibility: Responsibility for AMR action is often unclear, with organizations and sectors either believing they have done enough or assuming it is someone else’s responsibility.

What are we doing?

AMR Action & Insights has been established to:

• Provide public and private sector policymakers with accessible, credible, and engaging information, evidence-based insights and best practice highlights, we aim to inform robust and effective AMR strategies for Australia. 
• Equip industry professionals with practical information and perspectives that will directly influence their operational approaches.
• Foster collaboration, communication to propel a unified national response to AMR by providing a platform for partners and stakeholders to promote their insights, activity, and impact.

Learn more about us and our partners.

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