Washington, D.C., 30 September 2026 (PAHO) – Health leaders from across the Americas have adopted a new regional Plan of Action on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) 2027–2031, aimed at strengthening efforts to prevent, detect and respond to drug-resistant infections while protect the effectiveness of life-saving medicines.
Approved during the 63rd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the plan provides a regional framework to support countries in updating and implementing national action plans on AMR and advancing coordinated action across human, animal and environmental health.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to medicines, making infections more difficult to treat and increasing the risk of severe illness and death. In the Americas, bacterial AMR was associated with an estimated 569,000 deaths in 2019, including 141,000 deaths directly attributable to resistance.
“The plan is the result of a collective and constructive effort by countries and partners across the Americas, reflecting a strong shared commitment to protecting public health and ensuring that antimicrobials remain effective,” said PAHO Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa.
The plan establishes six strategic lines of action to accelerate the regional response to AMR:
- Increase awareness and promote social and behavioral change to reduce the inappropriate use of antimicrobials;
- Strengthening surveillance systems and laboratory networks to generate timely, high-quality data on antimicrobial resistance and use;
- Intensifying infection prevention and control, including through improved water, sanitation and hygiene, stronger immunization programmes and measures to reduce infections in health care and community settings;
- Promoting access to and appropriate use and safe disposal of antimicrobials, as well as access to effective diagnostics and vaccines;
- Accelerating research and innovation to improve understanding of the burden of AMR and identify effective, sustainable interventions; and
- Strengthening multisectoral governance, financing and accountability to ensure that AMR remains integrated into national health and development priorities.
The plan emphasizes that prevention is central to tackling AMR. Strong infection prevention and control, access to clean water and sanitation, food safety and immunization can reduce infections and, consequently, the need for antimicrobial treatment. Appropriate prescribing and use of antimicrobials, supported by access to timely and accurate diagnostics, can also help slow the emergence and spread of resistance.
Countries in the Americas have made important progress in recent years. Thirty of the 33 Member States that periodically report to PAHO have introduced national action plans on AMR, while 22 have established or expanded infection prevention and control programmes and antimicrobial stewardship initiatives. However, significant gaps remain in surveillance, laboratory capacity, access to quality-assured medicines and diagnostics, infection prevention and control, and sustainable financing.
“Antimicrobial resistance knows no borders and cannot be addressed by any country or sector alone. Protecting the effectiveness of antimicrobials requires coordinated action, backed by strong surveillance, prevention and access to appropriate treatment,” added Dr. Sylvain Aldighieri, Director of the Department of Communicable Diseases Prevention, Control and Elimination at PAHO.
The plan promotes a One Health approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health and encouraging collaboration across health, agriculture, food production, environmental and other sectors. It also calls for meaningful participation by health professionals, academia, civil society and communities.
Through the Plan of Action on Antimicrobial Resistance 2027–2031, countries of the Americas are reinforcing regional cooperation to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials, protect patients and health workers, and safeguard the capacity of health systems to prevent and treat infections now and in the future.
