article · Discover Public Health
Antimicrobial resistance has intensified as a global health threat following the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors such as antibiotic overuse, disrupted stewardship programmes, and health-system vulnerabilities have accelerated the emergence and transmission of resistant pathogens, with low- and middle-income nations facing significant risks. In response, a four-pillar framework based on pandemic lessons offers a strategy to mitigate these threats. This framework prioritises stronger governance, integrated surveillance, public awareness, and expanded access to diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics, and related innovations. Crucially, the approach relies on a One Health model that links human, animal, and environmental sectors. Coordinated action, rapid diagnostics, genetic surveillance, and equitable resource allocation are emphasised to protect disadvantaged populations and support sustainable global development goals.
Antimicrobial resistance threatens patient outcomes, universal healthcare, and international development goals. By learning from the coordinated responses, data sharing, and diagnostic advances seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, public health systems can establish stronger, multi-sector defences to prevent untreatable infections from disproportionately harming vulnerable and resource-limited populations.
The perspective highlights an application pathway centered on expanding access to diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics, and genomic surveillance tools. Potential users include public health agencies, healthcare providers, and policymakers implementing One Health programmes. Because this work presents a policy framework and synthesis rather than a validated product, direct commercialisation remains at an early, strategic level, pointing to areas where technological solutions and health innovations are urgently needed.
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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health threat, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Antibiotic overuse, disruptions to stewardship, and health-system weaknesses likely contributed to conditions that favored the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This Perspective synthesizes selected post-pandemic lessons and policy-relevant evidence to propose a practical framework for addressing antimicrobial resistance in the post-pandemic era. COVID-19 lessons, such as quick diagnosis, genetic surveillance, and worldwide data sharing, demonstrate the value of coordinated, science-driven interventions. The One Health strategy, which combines human, animal, and environmental health, is essential for an effective response. The key pillars are strengthening governance and national action, reinforcing stewardship and integrated surveillance, expanding access to diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics, and innovation, and promoting public awareness and community engagement, all within a One Health framework. AMR can adversely affect patient outcomes, universal health coverage, and global development objectives. To effectively mitigate, programs that are equity-focused and multisectoral should prioritize disadvantaged populations and resource-constrained contexts. The post-pandemic era offers an important opportunity to strengthen AMR action through a coherent four-pillar framework consisting of governance and national action, stewardship and surveillance, diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics, and innovation, and public awareness and community engagement. Anchored in a One Health approach, this framework provides a practical path toward more resilient, equitable, and sustainable AMR control.
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DOI: 10.1186/s12982-026-02800-6
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