# Antimicrobial Resistance: How Can We Overcome the Problem?

## TL;DR

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global problem that threatens human, animal, and plant health, requiring coordinated actions to monitor, prevent, and treat.

## Contribution

The paper proposes three integrated actions under the One Health paradigm to combat antimicrobial resistance.

## Key findings

- Antimicrobial resistance is increasing due to overuse and misuse of antibiotics across humans, animals, and plants.
- One Health approach is essential to address AMR as it affects all countries and threatens food security and health systems.
- Monitoring the resistome, developing protective strategies, and designing new treatments are critical and must be done simultaneously.

## Abstract

Antimicrobials are common drugs used to treat and prevent infectious diseases in plants, animals, and humans. Since their discovery in the mid-20th century, their use has dramatically increased for the benefit of humanity, and also for animal care. However, antimicrobial resistance soon appeared, which, according to the WHO, will limit or impede their use at the horizon of 2050. Indeed, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is a natural phenomenon in bacteria increased dramatically over the last 3 decades mainly due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in humans, animals, and plants. Apart from affecting human health, drug-resistant diseases also adversely affect plant and animal health, reduce agricultural productivity, and threaten food security. AMR affects all countries, regardless of economic status, and imposes high costs on health systems and national economies. Therefore, antimicrobial resistance should be studied and analyzed under the One Health paradigm. In mind of the One Health paradigm, to reduce and overcome AMR, we must take at least 3 complementary and integrated actions: (i) monitoring the resistome; (ii) developing protective strategies against antibiotic resistance; (iii) taking curative actions by designing new and original treatments. Moreover, the three actions must be conducted simultaneously due to the continuous adaptation of bacteria.