Background Analysis on Progress Toward Meeting Goals and Objectives in the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (2015-2020)

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) received funding from Congress to examine and quantify the long-term medical and economic impacts of increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the United States (US). A primary objective of the study was to review progress made on the first National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (2015-2020), herein referred to as the National Action Plan. To complete this aspect of the project, NASEM contracted with the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota in Spring 2021.

The National Action Plan was organized around five goals and contains 22 objectives under those goals, with 230 individual milestones. The goals are as follows:
1. Slow the Emergence of Resistant Bacteria and Prevent the Spread of Resistant Infections
2. Strengthen National One-Health Surveillance Efforts to Combat Resistance
3. Advance Development and Use of Rapid and Innovative Diagnostic Tests for Identification and Characterization of Resistant Bacteria
4. Accelerate Basic and Applied Research and Development for New Antibiotics, Other Therapeutics, and Vaccines
5. Improve International Collaboration and Capacities for Antibiotic-resistance Prevention, Surveillance, Control, and Antibiotic Research and Development

This report contains a summary of progress on each milestone in the first National Action Plan and also highlights key accomplishments for each agency, along with major barriers and challenges and important lessons learned during the 5 years of the National Action Plan.