Since the publication of Jim O'Neill's 2016 report on AMR, several recommendations have seen partial implementation, while others still require attention:
- Global public awareness: Public awareness of AMR has increased, and campaigns have been launched in various countries. The UK's 5-year AMR strategy focused on improving awareness across sectors, including healthcare and agriculture.
- Reducing antimicrobial use in agriculture: Progress has been made in reducing unnecessary use of antibiotics in agriculture. The UK, the EU, and the US have introduced regulations to limit antibiotic use in livestock farming, and many countries now collect better data on antibiotic use in agriculture.
- Improved global surveillance: Global surveillance systems have seen some improvement, with initiatives like the WHO's Global AMR Surveillance System (GLASS) helping to track antimicrobial resistance worldwide. However, these systems are still in development and coverage in lower-income countries remains limited.
- Diagnostics: One area where implementation has lagged is the development of rapid diagnostics. Jim O'Neill himself noted in 2022 that progress on this front, especially in the UK, has been "woeful." Rapid diagnostic tools, which are crucial for reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, have not yet been widely adopted.
- Incentives for new antibiotic development: Some efforts have been made to provide financial incentives for antibiotic development. Initiatives like CARB-X, which funds early-stage research into new antibiotics, have been launched, but the market for new antibiotics remains unattractive due to low commercial returns.
In summary, while progress has been made in awareness campaigns, reducing antibiotic use in agriculture, and improving surveillance, challenges remain in rolling out diagnostic tools and incentivising the development of new antibiotics. The suggestion is that a more coordinated global action is still needed to fully implement the report's recommendations.
