Antimicrobial resistance: The complex challenge of measurement to inform policy and the public
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasing in a wide range of pathogens, causing morbidity and mortality globally, and threatening modern medicine. While the long-term impact of AMR on human societies remains uncertain, the conservation of antimicrobials’ effectiveness has become an urgent priority. Tackling this ubiquitous problem requires coordination among countries and across sectors that include human and animal health, the environment, development, and trade. Previous attempts at orchestrating such a response have been insufficient, but growing concern about AMR culminated in the adoption of a Global Action Plan (GAP) by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015, followed by a political declaration at the General Assembly of the UN in 2016.