AMR: 97.8% of responding countries in African region have national action plans in place but implementation & monitoring lax

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported significant progress in tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in the African Region. The report shows a rise in the number of nations with national action plans (NAPs), functional multisectoral AMR working groups, national AMR awareness campaigns, national surveillance activities, and the adoption of the WHO’s access, watch, and reserve classification for antibiotics in essential medicines lists. The survey, conducted between April and July 2023, found that 97.2 per cent of African Region Member States had a national AMR NAP, with 71.7 per cent receiving government approval.