Beating antimicrobial resistance

Published on April 2nd, 2026

Antimicrobial resistance was framed as an already active global health crisis, with significant mortality that remains under-recognized in public and policy discourse. The discussion highlighted a fundamental tension between reducing antibiotic use and sustaining innovation, as stewardship efforts lower demand while existing market models fail to incentivize the development of new treatments. Participants emphasized the need for dual strategies that both limit misuse and create economic models to support “reserve” antimicrobials. Key gaps were identified in surveillance and diagnostics, with fragmented systems limiting real-time response and coordination across regions and sectors.

The full session can be viewed in the recording below.

Key takeaways

• AMR is already a major driver of mortality but remains under-recognized

• Overuse and misuse of antibiotics continue across healthcare and agriculture

• Current market incentives discourage the development of new antimicrobials

• Effective solutions must combine stewardship with new economic models

• Surveillance and real-time monitoring systems remain fragmented and insufficient

Policy recommendation

Fund pay-for-availability for antimicrobials and alternatives, and enforce diagnostics-led prescribing and stewardship across healthcare and animal farming.

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Copyright: © 2026 [author(s)]. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in the Frontiers Policy Labs is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.