A national programme is needed to undertake surveillance of antimicrobial use and resistance and, based on this data, to develop, implement and evaluate strategies to contain AMR. Critical to success are:

1. an adequately funded, mandated, multidisciplinary, national task force to coordinate strategies to contain AMR;

2. a national reference microbiology laboratory to coordinate a network of reliable diagnostic microbiology laboratories;

3. government investment in the health system infrastructure to ensure the controlled availability of appropriate antimicrobials, and adequately trained personnel to prescribe and dispense them.