Antimicrobial resistance research: learning lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

The Academy of Medical Sciences' FORUM, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) hosted a joint virtual workshop on ‘Antimicrobial resistance research: learnings applied from COVID-19’.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) presents a serious global threat to the prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has required unprecedented coordination of research, technology, regulation, infrastructure and the workforce, and rapid adoption of new public health processes. As an emerging global and cross-sector challenge, tackling AMR requires a similarly concerted effort. Lessons learned from the pandemic could provide insight into the research and policy priorities required to tackle AMR.

This 3.5-hour virtual FORUM workshop convened experts from academia, healthcare, public health, industry, policy, funding and regulation, as well as public and patient representatives, to:

• Briefly consider the outstanding challenges facing AMR research.
• Identify the key relevant lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Consider how experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic can be applied to advance AMR research and policy.

The workshop and its outcomes will inform the work of the UK AMR Research Coordination Group, which was established as part of the UK AMR Research Programme to identify priority areas for AMR research.

The meeting was co-chaired by Professor Sharon Peacock CBE FMedSci, Executive Director and Chair of the COVID-19 Genomics UK consortium, and Professor Alison Holmes OBE FMedSci, Director of the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and AMR and the Centre for Antimicrobial Optimisation.

The workshop report can be found here and a short summary here.

For further information, please contact Alice Fletcher-Etherington (Alice.Fletcher-Etherington@acmedsci.ac.uk).

The Academy’s FORUM provides a neutral and independent platform for individuals from across academia, industry, the NHS and Government, and the charity, regulatory and wider healthcare sector, to meet and take forward national discussions on scientific opportunities, technology trends and associated strategic choices for healthcare. Find out more.