# Leveraging disease outbreak news to strengthen the global response to antimicrobial resistance: a call for action

## TL;DR

This paper argues for using global disease outbreak alerts to better track and respond to antimicrobial resistance, especially in low-income countries.

## Contribution

The paper proposes adapting the WHO's Disease Outbreak News system to include AMR events, enhancing global surveillance and response.

## Key findings

- AMR events are currently underreported and lack global visibility compared to infectious disease outbreaks.
- Integrating AMR into the Disease Outbreak News system could improve detection and coordination of responses in low- and middle-income countries.
- Expanding the definition of Public Health Emergencies of International Concern to include AMR could elevate its global priority.

## Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an escalating global health threat, with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bearing the greatest burden as healthcare facilities become breeding grounds for resistant pathogens, leading to increased morbidity, mortality, and straining of already limited resources. The World Health Organization’s Disease Outbreak News (DONs) has proven invaluable for early warnings and coordinated responses to infectious disease outbreaks like Ebola and COVID-19, yet AMR events remain largely absent from this system, leading to under-detection, limited global visibility, and ineffective interventions. In this paper, we review the historical evolution of DONs, its supporting frameworks, and the dynamics of AMR outbreaks in LMIC healthcare settings to explore how DONs could be adapted for AMR. We recommend standardizing AMR outbreaks reporting, integrating DONs into response efforts, linking AMR surveillance to DONs workflows, and expanding the definition of Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC) to include high-morbidity AMR events, steps that would elevate AMR from a “silent pandemic” to a visible priority.