UK Five Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2013 to 2018

The overarching goal of the Strategy is to slow the development and spread of AMR. The UK fully recognises the importance of controlling AMR to protect public health and reduce the associated premature mortality and morbidity in as cost-effective a manner as possible . It is committed to an integrated approach to tackle AMR as part of the ‘One-Health’ approach at national and international levels and to using its powers to provide the necessary leadership, stewardship and strategic direction for the NHS and the wider health and care system. It will do this by holding national bodies to account and ensuring that different parts of the system work properly together to improve clinical practice and patient outcomes . It focusses activities around 3 strategic aims: • improve the knowledge and understanding of AMR, • conserve and steward the effectiveness of existing treatments, • stimulate the development of new antibiotics, diagnostics and novel therapies The UK’s commitment to tackle AMR and response to the actions requested in the ‘2011 EU AMR Strategic Action Plan’ and ‘2012 EU Council Conclusions’ will focus on the following 7 key areas for future action: Key area 1: improving infection prevention and control practices Key area 2: optimising prescribing practice Key area 3: improving professional education, training and public engagemet Key area 4: developing new drugs, treatments and diagnostics Key area 5: better access to and use of surveillance data Key area 6: better identification and prioritisation of AMR research needs Key area 7: strengthened international collaboration