Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Action Plan 2022-2025.

This National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) serves as a comprehensive guide, offering an overview of the Kingdom's past AMR efforts and outlining specific actions for the next four years. Through a review of previous interventions, identified gaps in implementation and sustainability have prompted a focus on (i) addressing these gaps, (ii) building upon ongoing initiatives, including enhanced surveillance in humans, animals, and the environment, (iii) extending AMR stewardship programs in hospitals, (iv) evaluating antimicrobial consumption in humans and animals, and (v) ensuring rigorous monitoring of AMR activities.
The Action Plan delineates objectives accompanied by initiatives to (i) bolster collaboration and coordination across disciplines and sectors, achieved through (a) overseeing the National Committee's efforts in combating AMR and (b) governing multisectoral AMR initiatives; (ii) fortify the knowledge base through surveillance and research, realized by (a) enhancing national AMR surveillance for humans, animals, food, and the environment, covering trends in antimicrobial consumption, residue, and environmental impact; (b) improving laboratory capacity for producing high-quality microbiological data in humans; (c) increasing laboratory capacity for generating high-quality microbiological data in animals and the environment; (d) promoting evidence-based research to deepen understanding of AMR; (iii) elevate awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance through effective communication, education, and training, accomplished by (a) enhancing national public awareness regarding antimicrobials and AMR and (b) integrating AMR and related topics into professional education, training, certification, and development; (iv) optimize the use of antimicrobial medicines in human and animal health, executed through (a) enhancing antimicrobial consumption data collection in humans and animals; (b) improving antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) across healthcare facilities; (c) ensuring prudent use of antimicrobial agents in terrestrial and aquatic animals and agriculture; (v) reduce infection incidence through effective sanitation, hygiene, and prevention measures, implemented by (a) strengthening the National Infection Prevention and Control Program and (b) establishing a dedicated National Infection Control Program for the animal health sector.
In the pursuit to diminish antimicrobial resistance in the Kingdom, the success of the Action Plan will be gauged through the reduction in antibiotic resistance across five pathogens and by monitoring the use of antimicrobial agents. As efforts to improve AMR reporting in hospitals progress, it is expected to see an increase in these indicators from 2022 to 2023. Close monitoring will be upheld during this period, to commence reporting in early 2024.