Progress on the national action plan of Pakistan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR): a narrative review and the implications

Saleem Z 1 , Godman B 2 , Azhar F 3 , Kalungia AC 4 , Fadare J 5 , Opanga S 6 Show all authors , Markovic-Pekovic V 7 , Hoxha I 8 , Saeed A 1 , Al-Gethamy M 9 , Haseeb A 10 , Salman M 1 , Khan AA 1 , Nadeem MU 3 , Rehman IU 3 , Qamar MU 11 , Amir A 12 , Ikram A 12 , Hassali MA 13

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
  • 2 Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, UK
  • 3 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
  • 4 Department of Pharmacy, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
  • 5 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
  • 6 Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 7 Department of Social Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • 8 Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine Tirana, Albania
  • 9 Alnoor Specialist Hospital Makkah, Department of Infection Prevention & Control Program, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • 10 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • 11 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
  • 12 Department of Microbiology, National Institute of Health Islamabad, Pakistan
  • 13 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, George Town Malaysia
Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther, 2022 Jan;20(1):71-93.
PMID: 34038294 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2021.1935238

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a threat to public health. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced a global action plan to tackle AMR in the World Health Assembly. Pakistan's national action plan (NAP) for AMR was released in May 2017 by the Ministry of National Health Services. Based on the NAP, strategies have been initiated on a national and provincial scale in Pakistan.

AREAS COVERED: This narrative review of the five components of the Pakistan NAP has been undertaken to discuss some of the challenges in implementation of the NAP for AMR in Pakistan including different opinions and views of key stakeholders, combined with suggestions on potential ways to reduce the burden of the AMR.

EXPERT OPINION: Going forward, healthcare authorities should focus on screening and monitoring of all the objectives of the NAP by establishing proper policies as well as promoting antimicrobial stewardship interventions and Infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. Overall, the comprehensive strengthening of the healthcare system is required to adequately implement the NAP, tackle continued inappropriate antimicrobial use and high AMR rates in Pakistan.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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