Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health concern that is impacted by both human and non-human antimicrobial use. It is therefore essential to prevent and control emerging antimicrobial resistance problems in a coordinated manner in agriculture, human and veterinary medicine. The consequences of antimicrobial resistance are particularly important when disease is caused by pathogens that are resistant to antimicrobials considered critically important in the treatment of human disease by the World Health Organization.

WHO convened the first meeting of the Advisory Group on Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (AGISAR) in Copenhagen, Denmark on 15-19 June 2009. At this meeting, participants reviewed the criteria.

During the first part of the consultation, the experts adapted the WHO list of CIA developed in Canberra in 2005 and reviewed in Copenhagen in 2007. The AGISAR participants felt the criteria were appropriate; minor changes were made for sake of clarity of the text describing the criteria and greater explanation were given in the text accompanying the list..