Manila/New Delhi: Countries across the Asia-Pacific region are strengthening their national strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but a new assessment shows that funding remains a major obstacle to putting many of these plans fully into practice.

The findings, released by the World Health Organization on October 5, are based on data from 28 Asia-Pacific countries and examine progress toward targets established in the 2024 United Nations General Assembly political declaration on AMR.

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites become resistant to medicines used to treat infections. This can make previously treatable infections increasingly difficult to manage and can increase the risk of severe illness and death.

According to the regional assessment, an estimated 2.6 million deaths were associated with AMR in the Asia-Pacific region in 2019, including more than 680,000 deaths directly attributable to AMR. In the WHO Western Pacific Region, AMR is projected to cause more than 5 million deaths between 2020 and 2030 if the challenge is not adequately addressed.

National plans becoming more detailed

The assessment found significant improvements in the quality of national AMR action plans.

Among the 28 countries providing data, 27 had endorsed at least one multisectoral AMR action plan. Many countries have now moved to second-generation plans, with three countries already working with third-generation plans.

Second-generation plans were found to be substantially more developed than earlier plans. The proportion of plans that were costed increased from 33% to 67%, while the inclusion of monitoring and evaluation frameworks increased from 33% to 93%. Plans containing measurable targets also increased from 8% to 71%.

Funding remains a major challenge

Despite improvements in planning, financing has not kept pace.

Nearly 49% of the 27 national plans were not costed at all. Only 44% were fully costed, while another 7% were partially costed.

The assessment also found continued dependence on international funding. Only eight countries reported that their AMR activities were financed entirely through domestic sources. Meanwhile, 15 countries, or 56%, received less than 30% of their total AMR funding domestically.

This funding gap could make it difficult for countries to translate policy commitments into practical programmes involving surveillance, infection prevention, laboratory capacity and responsible antimicrobial use.

Water, sanitation and antibiotic use remain concerns

The assessment also identified gaps in basic infection-prevention measures.

Only 16 of the 28 countries reported that more than 75% of their healthcare facilities had basic water, sanitation and hygiene services. Such services are important because preventing infections can reduce the need for antimicrobial medicines.

Antibiotic-use patterns also remain an area requiring attention. Only nine countries reported that more than 70% of their antibiotic use came from the WHO’s Access group, which consists of antibiotics recommended for many common infections because they generally have lower resistance potential than broader-spectrum alternatives.

Global action continues

The latest regional findings come after the World Health Assembly adopted an updated Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance for 2026–2036 earlier this year.

The updated plan uses a One Health approach that links human health with animal health, food systems and the environment. It places emphasis on prevention, vaccination, infection control, water and sanitation, responsible antimicrobial use, surveillance and sustainable financing.

The new regional data will provide a baseline against which progress can be measured toward 2030 targets.

The WHO and its regional partners are calling on Asia-Pacific countries to fully cost and finance their AMR action plans, expand infection-prevention services, strengthen surveillance and promote more appropriate use of antimicrobial medicines.

The findings underline a central challenge in the global AMR response: countries are increasingly developing detailed strategies, but sustained financial investment will be necessary to turn those strategies into measurable action.