A Just Transitions framework for equitable and sustainable mitigation of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global concern, with 10 million annual deaths and US$100 trillion projected cost to the global economy by 2050 if no action is taken. Like climate change, AMR is a multi-sectoral, borderless problem that disproportionately affects the poorest, and requires collective action and coordinated efforts. Urgent, system-wide change is needed to avoid a future where antimicrobials do not work, and common infections become life-threatening. Current efforts focus on solutions developed in high-income settings, which neglect structural challenges, particularly for poor communities where the disease burden is highest. We aim to develop a framework for Just Transitions toward equitable and sustainable solutions to mitigate AMR. Our proposal outlines strategies to engage diverse groups of stakeholders to devise fair policies and regulatory tools, and has the potential to transform approaches to tackling AMR. Synergies with Just Transitions for agriculture and climate will have wider planetary health benefits.

Sonia Lewycka, University of Oxford

Phaik Yeong Cheah, University of Oxford

Calvin Ho, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Marina Joubert, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Edna Mutua, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust, Kenya

Pablo Imbach, Head of Climate Action Unit, CATIE - Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center, Costa Rica

Taciano Milfont, University of Waikato/Ministry for the Environment, New Zealand

Sheila Varadan, University of Leiden, Netherlands

Sassy Molyneux, University of Oxford, UK

Caesar Atuire, University of Ghana, Ghana

Claas Kirchhelle, University College Dublin, Ireland

Kym Weed, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

Steve Hinchliffe, Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health, University of Exeter, UK

Mo Yin, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Nenene Qekwana, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Clare Chandler, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK

Deepshikha Batheja, One Health Trust, India

Nahitun Naher, Centre of Excellence for Health Systems and Universal Health Coverage (CoEHSUHC), BRAC University, Bangladesh

Chris Pell, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Netherlands

Sander Chan, Radboud University, Netherlands