Antimicrobial resistance: a manual for developing national action plans

Overview

This manual for developing national action plans to address antimicrobial resistance has been developed at the request of the World Health Assembly to assist countries in the initial phase of developing new, or refining existing national action plans in line with the strategic objectives of the Global Action Plan. It proposes an incremental approach that countries can adapt to the specific needs, circumstances and available resources of each individual country. Details of actions to be taken will vary according to national contexts.

A series of supporting tools have also been developed by WHO, in collaboration with FAO and OIE, to accompany this manual. These include sample terms of reference for suggested coordination mechanisms, a generic template for a national action plan, a sample plan for monitoring and evaluation, and a checklist. Other tools will be added as the needs arise.

It is expected that countries’ experiences in developing national action plans, particularly during the initial phase in 2016, will become a valuable source in helping to refine and adapt this manual. It is therefore anticipated that this manual will be revised in 2017 in order to reflect this experience and better serve the needs of countries.