Lancet article: An analysis of existing national action plans for antimicrobial resistance – gaps and opportunities in strategies optimising antibiotic use in human populations

2023-02-23

The Lancet article titled "An analysis of existing national action plans for antimicrobial resistance - gaps and opportunities in strategies optimising antibiotic use in human populations" examines the existing National Action Plans on Antimicrobial Resistance and identifies gaps and opportunities for improving strategies to optimize antibiotic use in human populations. Dr. Mirfin Mpundu, ReAct Africa, contributed to the article as one of the co-authors.

The study analyzed 159 National Action Plans on AMR from 154 countries and found that while many countries have developed national action plans, there is significant variation in the comprehensiveness and implementation of these plans.

The authors identified several key gaps in the plans including:

• the lack of specific targets and indicators
• inadequate funding
• limited engagement with the private sector.

The study also highlighted the need for coordinated global action and monitoring to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.

The paper further highlighted gaps and opportunities emanating from the extensive review of existing National Action Plans across high-income countries and low-and middle-income countries as well as across the six domains.

The authors concluded that addressing the gaps in existing national action plans and improving their implementation is crucial to ensuring the appropriate use of antibiotics and mitigating the impact of antimicrobial on public health.

Dr. Mirfin Mpundu, ReAct Africa, contributed to the article as one of the co-authors.