Regional strategy on prevention and containment of antimicrobial resistance, 2010-2015

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance has been an unrecognized and neglected problem which is not only cross cutting but also has far reaching implications as an emerging public health problem with huge risk to international health security. The consequences of resistance are severe and several. Resistance in microorganisms costs money, livelihood and lives and threatens to undermine the effectiveness of health delivery programmes. The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance are complex problems fuelled by the knowledge, expectations, and interactions of prescribers and patients, and regulatory environment. A strategic approach has been described in this document to combat this burgeoning problem.