Although countries in Asia-Pacific are developing better national action plans to fight antimicrobial resistance, half the countries with plans are not costed. 

The countries in Asia-Pacific are developing better national action plans to fight antimicrobial resistance. The problem is that most plans lack the funding to be implemented fully and save lives.

The findings, from data in 28 countries across the region, come at a pivotal moment in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which occurs when bacteria and other organisms that cause infections evolve to resist the medicines used to treat them. In 2019, an estimated 2.6 million deaths were associated with AMR in the Asia-Pacific region. More than 680,000 of those lives lost were directly attributable to AMR. 

In the WHO Western Pacific Region, AMR is projected to cause more than five million deaths and cost up to $148 billion (£112.1 billion) from 2020 to 2030.

“Countries in Asia and the Pacific have shown determination, leadership and political commitment for concrete actions,” said Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific. 

“That commitment needs to be matched with the domestic investment required to further implement these ambitious yet practical national action plans,” he continued. 

Becoming more robust

Plans are becoming more robust and sophisticated as countries gain experience and deliberate more carefully. Among the 28 countries presenting data, 27 had endorsed at least one multisectoral AMR action plan; most (14) were on their second plan and three on their third. 

Compared with first plans, second-generation plans were twice as likely to be costed (67% versus 33%), nearly three times as likely to contain monitoring and evaluation frameworks (93% versus 33%), and far more likely to include measurable targets (71% versus 8%). 

This progress, however, has not been matched by funding.

Nearly half (49%) of the 27 countries with AMR plans are not costed at all, while only 44% of plans are fully costed and another 7% are partially costed. 

While full domestic financing is achievable, the region continues to be heavily dependent on external partners. Only eight countries – a mix of high-income and Pacific island countries – reported that AMR activities are funded entirely from domestic sources. Meanwhile, 15 countries (56%) received less than 30% of their total AMR funding from domestic sources.

Japan has led regional efforts to accelerate action on AMR since 2016, when it launched the Asia-Pacific One Health Initiative on AMR (ASPIRE) together with the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific and the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia.

“The countries of Asia and the Pacific have made clear that they recognise the urgency of action,” said Nilesh Buddha, officer-in-charge, WHO South-East Asia Region. “Together, we can change the trajectory of AMR and safeguard the health of future generations.”