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Review
. 2025 Sep 3:15:1614232.
doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1614232. eCollection 2025.

A one health perspective on multidrug-resistant bacterial infections: integrated approaches for surveillance, policy and innovation

Chinenyenwa M D Ohia  1   2 , Olutayo Israel Falodun  3 , Lucky Icomiare Adebudo  4   5 , Adeleye Solomon Bakarey  6
Affiliations
Review

A one health perspective on multidrug-resistant bacterial infections: integrated approaches for surveillance, policy and innovation

Chinenyenwa M D Ohia et al. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. .

Abstract

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections represent a growing global health emergency, driven by interconnected human, animal, and environmental factors. This review adopts a One Health perspective to explore the transmission dynamics, operational integration, and innovative responses to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Case studies from China, India, Nigeria, Thailand, and Brazil underscore the effectiveness of regulatory reforms, surveillance networks, and public engagement campaigns. Notably, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming MDR management through real-time diagnostics and resistance prediction, though ethical concerns and infrastructure deficits in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) remain barriers. Community-led initiatives, gender-sensitive education, and policy reforms are vital to curbing misuse and closing equity gaps. Despite successes, challenges such as fragmented governance, underfunded labs, and limited longitudinal research persist. A proactive, integrated One Health approach-linking clinical, environmental, and policy actions-is essential for reducing MDR burden. Investment in intersectoral surveillance, equitable AI deployment, and community empowerment is imperative for safeguarding antibiotics and ensuring global health resilience.

Keywords: AI technologies; antimicrobial stewardship; environmental reservoirs; global health; inter-sectoral collaborations; multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria; one health; zoonotic MDR outbreaks.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Stages of the literature selection process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
One health AMR transmission routes.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Map showing countries and their primary intervention strategy against MDR infections.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Integrated one health framework for MDR response.
Figure 5
Figure 5
AI workflow for MDR surveillance.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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