The World Health Organization (WHO) has published its first global research agenda for scientists to address the 'most urgent' human health priorities to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which has been declared by the organisation as one of the top ten threats to global public health.

Associated with the deaths of 4.95 million people in 2019, AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change and adapt to antibiotics over time. As a result, infections become harder to treat, and the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death increases.

The WHO Global Research Agenda for AMR in human health outlines 40 research topics on drug-resistant bacteria, fungi and Mycobacterium tuberculosis that the organisation said "must be answered by 2030”.

WHO said the aim of the agenda is to guide key stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers and funders, in generating new evidence to inform AMR policies and interventions as part of efforts to address AMR, particularly in low-and-middle-income countries.

Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO assistant director-general for AMR, said: “AMR is an urgent public health and economic challenge, and good quality research is a vital part of the response.

“To help preserve antimicrobials and save lives and livelihoods, this research agenda is a crucial tool for researchers and funders to prioritise research questions, and promptly and efficiently generate evidence that informs policy.”

The research agenda was developed in close collaboration with a large group of AMR experts, WHO said, and is based on a review of over 3,000 relevant documents published over the past decade. More than 2,000 unanswered questions or knowledge gaps were identified in the review, which were further consolidated and prioritised to conclude with the 40 research topics.

Tackling AMR has been a key focus for WHO, which launched a global action plan in 2015 aimed at mitigating the emergence and transmission of resistant infections.

Last month, the organisation released a new report considering how global health systems can stimulate the research and development (R&D) of new antibiotics.

The report, Incentivising the development of new antibacterial treatments 2023, was developed in partnership with the Global AMR R&D Hub and highlights the 'substantial progress' that has been made by G7 countries to support R&D into new antibiotics, but also the remaining gaps in ensuring a robust pipeline of treatments.

Reference：
https://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/world_health_organization_publishes_its_first_global_research_agenda_for_amr_1493774