A new WHO Bulletin Perspective article, now available online ahead of print, underscores the vital role of social science in shaping the next Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). As Member States and UN agencies prepare a new vision to collectively address AMR in 2026, the piece argues that the social sciences can help accelerate and strengthen national AMR interventions.
The article draws on a January 2025 convening hosted by the Global Strategy Lab, which brought together leading AMR social scientists from across the social sciences. Participants examined emerging ways of understanding AMR that could catalyze more effective policy action. Three key conceptions surfaced: AMR as a socio-ecological dynamic, antimicrobials as essential infrastructure, and AMR as a collective action problem.
The authors propose that integrating these perspectives into the revised Global Action Plan would improve how AMR challenges are defined and addressed. This approach can support more impactful, equitable, and sustainable policy solutions worldwide.
Read the full article: Social science contributions to the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance
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