PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Policy
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1655232
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancing Public Health Preparedness and Response in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Challenges, Opportunities, and Ways Forward – Insights from the 8th EMPHNET Regional ConferenceView all 8 articles
Antimicrobial resistance in the Eastern Mediterranean Region:Experiences, Challenges, and Perspectives
Provisionally accepted
Deema Al Bakri1*
Ibrahim Al Faouri2*Maya Joukhadar3
Aamer Ikram4Nelea Motriuc5
Ghassan M Matar6Rola Ali Ghanem7Heba Mahrous8Tariq Hassan Taha9
Hafiz Ahmad2Priyalatha Muthu2
Haitham Bashier10Magid Al-Gunaid10
Mohannad Al Nsour10
Yousef Khader10- 1The Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), Amman, Jordan
- 2RAK Medical & Health Sciences University, Ras Al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
- 3Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, Amman, Jordan
- 4Advisor Health Fauji Foundation, Islamabad, Pakistan
- 5AMR Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform, Rome, Italy
- 6American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
- 7CRDF Global, Arlington, United States
- 8World Health Organisation Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Cairo, Egypt
- 9World Organization for Animal Health, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- 10Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network, Amman, Jordan
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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a rapidly growing global health threat that undermines the effectiveness of first-line treatments for serious infectious diseases. During the Eighth Regional Conference of the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), held in Amman, Jordan, from September 15-18, 2024, this critical issue took center stage under the theme "Advancing Public Health Preparedness and Response." A dedicated roundtable discussion on AMR explored the challenges of implementing effective AMR surveillance, the widespread misuse of antibiotics, and the urgent need for a One Health approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health. Speakers emphasized that political commitment, sustainable funding, and cross-sector collaboration are essential to curbing AMR, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), where factors such as high antimicrobial consumption, conflict, weak health systems, and poor access to regulated antibiotics exacerbate the problem. The discussion also highlighted the critical roles of laboratories and infection prevention and control (IPC) programs in healthcare settings, both of which are central to AMR surveillance and stewardship. Global efforts, including the WHO's Global Action Plan on AMR and the AMR Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform, were recognized as vital frameworks for fostering international cooperation and guiding regional responses. The roundtable concluded with a call for strengthened governance, enhanced laboratory capacities, improved surveillance systems, scaling up IPC programs and enhanced public awareness campaigns to confront the rising threat of AMR in the EMR.
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), Eastern Mediterranean region, National action plans, Infection prevention and control, Antimicrobial stewardship
Received: 27 Jun 2025; Accepted: 20 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Al Bakri, Al Faouri, Joukhadar, Ikram, Motriuc, Matar, Ghanem, Mahrous, Taha, Ahmad, Muthu, Bashier, Al-Gunaid, Al Nsour and Khader. 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 this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Deema Al Bakri, The Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), Amman, Jordan
Ibrahim Al Faouri, RAK Medical & Health Sciences University, Ras Al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
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