By Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens the very foundations of modern medicine, jeopardizing decades of medical progress, as around the world—and particularly in South-East Asia—common infections are becoming harder to treat. It poses one of the greatest dangers to global health, food security, and development. It is already claiming lives, undermining essential treatments and placing enormous strain on health systems. Antimicrobial resistance is already resulting in over a million deaths each year worldwide, with the burden expected to rise sharply in the coming decades unless urgent action is taken.
On World AMR Awareness Week, the world is urged to “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future.” Building on the momentum of the 2024 United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on AMR, this call-to-action urges all stakeholders—governments, civil society, health-care providers, veterinarians, farmers, environmental actors and the public—to translate the political commitments into tangible, accountable, life-saving interventions.
The evidence is clear. The Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Report 2025 documents the disproportionate effects of antibiotic resistance in low- and middle-income countries, and those with weaker health systems. Alarmingly, in 2023, resistance was most frequent in the South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions.
The South-East Asia Region faces distinctive challenges, including diverse health systems, varying levels of access to medicines, and unique patterns of antimicrobial usage. In responding to these, we have opportunities for innovation and leadership through fostering regional partnerships, investing in laboratory capacity, and supporting community-based initiatives.
The Regional Roadmap on AMR in the South-East Asia Region (2025–2030) was endorsed by Member States at the Seventy-eighth Session of the WHO Regional Committee, in October 2025. It provides a clear framework to accelerate progress towards global AMR targets and strengthen country-led action. It emphasizes stronger national leadership, integration within health priorities, sustainable financing, and improved governance.
The WHO South-East Asia Regional Office, together with the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR partners—the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, and the United Nations Environment Programme—is committed to supporting all Member States implementing the Regional Roadmap and achieving the UN General Assembly Political Declaration targets by 2030.
The Regional Office is currently supporting Member States to:
Update and implement their National Action Plans to align with the Political Declaration and the Regional Roadmap
Strengthen their national regulatory authorities role to address AMR
Mainstream AMR into primary health care and health system activities
Advance antimicrobial stewardship and update national treatment guidelines to rationalize use of antimicrobials
We are also conducting basic and intermediate regional training courses on fungal disease detection and antifungal sensitivity testing, and working with the Quadripartite partners to implement cross-sectoral, integrated surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and monitoring of antimicrobial use in the region.
On World AMR Awareness Week 2025, the message is clear: we must act now. Our actions can—and must—ensure that infections remain treatable, surgeries stay safe, and progress continues for future generations.
We must prioritize long-term investment and strategic action in the human, animal and environmental health sectors. Strengthening surveillance, ensuring equitable access to quality medicines and diagnostics, fostering innovation and building resilient systems all require long-term commitment and resources.
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