Course is available
The aim of this course is to introduce the concept and content of the WHO people-centred approach to addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the human health sector.
This course is intended for national and subnational policy-makers responsible for prioritizing and leading AMR interventions in the human health sector, through multisectoral national action plans (NAPs) on AMR. This course will also be useful for health care workers, communities, civil society groups, professional organizations and the private sector involved in development, implementation and monitoring of NAPs on AMR in human health care.
Photo credits: World Bank / Chhor Sokunthea
AMR ranks among the top 10 global health threats. This natural evolutionary response to exposure to antimicrobials has been exacerbated by human behaviour such as misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, agriculture and animal health, alongside environmental pollution. The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens threatens our ability to treat common infections, perform life-saving surgeries, and control future pandemics due to resistant pathogens.
Without effective tools for the prevention and adequate treatment of drug-resistant infections, and improved access to existing and new quality-assured antimicrobials, the number of people for whom treatment is failing or who die of infections will increase. AMR has the potential to impose significant economic costs on national economies and health systems due to productivity losses and the need for more expensive and more intensive care.
In response, countries have developed multi-sectoral national action plans on AMR which include interventions that aim to mitigate the burden and impact of AMR. Effective implementation of these plans requires collaboration and coordinated action with a broad range of stakeholders within and across the various sectors included in the plan.
To support countries with developing and implementing national action plans on AMR in a programmatic approach that considers the challenges and health system barriers people face when accessing health services, WHO has provided a core package of 13 interventions under a guidance document entitled "The People-centred approach to addressing antimicrobial resistance in human health: WHO core package of interventions to support national action plans". This course introduces the key concepts of the guidance document and outlines the 13 people-centred interventions that can inform the development and implementation of national action plans.
Approximately 90 minutes.
A certificate of achievement will be available to participants who score at least 80% in the final assessment.
Participants who receive a certificate of achievement can also download an Open Badge for this course. Click here to learn how.