Antimicrobial Resistance Diagnostic Initiative – Strengthening bacteriology and mycology diagnostic capacity, laboratory systems and service delivery – World

Overview

WHO Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Diagnostic Initiative builds on the resolution WHA76.5 (2023) “strengthening diagnostic capacity” adopted by Member States during the Seventy-Sixth World Health Assembly.

The goal of the AMR Diagnostic Initiative is to bring diagnostics to the forefront of the global AMR response and support countries in strengthening microbiology laboratory capacity and providing equitable access to quality testing for bacterial, fungal, and resistant pathogens at all levels of the health system and in the community. It also aims to ensure appropriate utilization of diagnostics to support patient management, antimicrobial stewardship initiatives, infection prevention and control measures, outbreak investigations, and routine AMR surveillance.

To achieve these goals, the AMR Diagnostic Initiative encompasses four building blocks:

1. A strategic and operational framework to set standards and provide implementation guidance to strengthen bacteriology and mycology laboratory services;
2. Assessment framework comprising standardized assessment tools for monitoring and reporting bacteriology and mycology laboratory services capacity at national and global levels;
3. Global AMR Laboratory Network, including laboratories designated by WHO for bacteriology, mycology and susceptibility testing at national, supranational and specialized level;
4. Research and innovation to improve precision, speed, and usability of diagnostic tools for AMR.