One Health antimicrobial resistance surveillance roundtable

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat to health, food security and economies across the world. To strengthen UK surveillance efforts, the Microbiology Society and the Pathogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food and Environment Programme (PATH-SAFE) convened a One Health AMR Surveillance Roundtable in December 2024, bringing together 16 government agencies from the human, animal, plant, environmental and food sectors across the UK central government and devolved nations. The workshop identified key questions for a UK-focused national One Health AMR surveillance system and explored opportunities and challenges for implementation. Key challenges include fragmented data with limited sharing and underutilized microbiological samples. Participants called for greater cross-sector collaboration, a shared AMR vocabulary, sustained investment and the development of a national AMR data catalogue. Coordinated One Health surveillance, backed by political commitment, is essential to tackle AMR effectively.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance; policy; surveillance.