Health system attributes and universal health coverage actions for addressing AMR
| Health system attributes | Actions for addressing AMR |
| Equity | Reduce the burden of infectious disease among the poor by strengthening basic public health and prevention Ensure access to appropriate antibiotics at an affordable cost, including by the poor Ensure that measures aimed at reducing inappropriate use of antimicrobials do not interfere with access to them by the poor |
| Quality | Regulate the quality of antimicrobials Include AMR in medical curriculum and training programmes Ensure that guidelines for treatment of infections take into account surveillance findings Ensure that advice on antimicrobial use provided to healthcare workers and through advertisements reflects best-practice guidelines and acknowledges the threat of AMR Increase access to low-cost diagnostic technologies for more accurate diagnosis |
| Efficiency | Alter financial incentives that encourage overuse of antimicrobials Reduce need for expensive treatment of infections with resistant organisms |
| Accountability | Provide information on surveillance findings Provide information on appropriate treatment for different infections |
| Sustainability and resilience | Strengthen public health services and immunisation to reduce exposure to infections Establish partnerships for management of antimicrobials Carry out awareness and educational campaigns to change understanding of healthcare workers and the population on appropriate use of antimicrobials Invest in research and development (R&D) of new drugs and in new approaches for providing effective treatment of common infections |
Source: WHO. Antimicrobial Resistance in the Asia Pacific region: a development Agenda. 2017. WHO, Geneva.
AMR, antimicrobial resistance.