Launching today—CGIAR Antimicrobial Resistance Hub

Antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs are among the most important tools available to medical and veterinary professionals for curing human and animal diseases and improving their welfare, yet these drugs are increasingly failing. Development of resistance to these drugs in disease-causing bacteria and other microbes poses a major threat to global development; the World Bank estimates that annual global GDP could fall by more than USD1 trillion by 2030 because of it.

The greatest challenges and burdens

of antimicrobial resistance

will be faced by people

in the world’s poorer countries.

A recently adopted CGIAR Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy places priority on generating evidence of links between agriculture—including crop, livestock and aquaculture systems—and public health outcomes. Based on the evidence it generates, scientists working at the hub will help countries develop solutions that are locally relevant and applicable. Context-driven and systems-oriented, the hub’s research integrates social and biological research in crop and livestock agriculture and aquaculture to better understand links between food production systems and public health.

The aim is to help countries reduce and refine

their antimicrobial use in crop, livestock and fish farming

so as to help stem the rise of drug resistance

in disease-causing organisms

and thus protect public health.

Like climate change and malnutrition, which CGIAR researchers are also tackling, antimicrobial resistance challenges scientists not only to generate new and useful evidence, but also to leverage contributions from diverse sectors and disciplines, and from both public and private actors, so as to come up with technical, institutional and policy innovations that will make the biggest difference in protecting human lives and livelihoods.

Working with many partners, researchers in three CGIAR research programs—’Agriculture for Nutrition and Health’ (CRP A4NH), led by the International Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), based in Washington, DC; on ‘Livestock’ (CRP Livestock), led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), based in Africa; and ‘Fish’ (CRP Fish), led by WorldFish, based in Malaysia—are working to better understand antimicrobial resistance as it occurs in low- and middle-income countries. With this better understanding, CGIAR and their many partner researchers can help countries develop practical strategies for tackling the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. Involvement of the CGIAR’s International Water Management Institute (IWMI), based in Sri Lanka, in this work will ensure that environmental and water system challenges in antimicrobial resistance are addressed holistically. And a research partnership between A4NH and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) will ensure that public health perspectives are integrated into all stages of the hub’s research.