Canada has an opportunity to address antimicrobial resistance through COVID-19 recovery spending

Deborah S Somanader; Ian Brunskill; Maureen Perrin; Herman Wildrik Barkema; Sean Hillier; Suzanne Hindmarch; J Scott Weese; Gerard D Wright; Andrew M Morris

doi:10.1016/j.lana.2022.100393

Canada has an opportunity to address antimicrobial resistance through COVID-19 recovery spending

Lancet Reg Health Am. 2022 Dec:16:100393. doi: 10.1016/j.lana.2022.100393. Epub 2022 Nov 18.

Authors

Deborah S Somanader¹, Ian Brunskill², Maureen Perrin³, Herman Wildrik Barkema⁴, Sean Hillier⁵, Suzanne Hindmarch⁶, J Scott Weese⁷, Gerard D Wright⁸, Andrew M Morris¹

Affiliations

¹ Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Sinai Health-University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
² Igneum Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada.
³ Sentient Meat Consulting, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
⁴ One Health at UCalgary, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁵ Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ Department of Political Science, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada.
⁷ Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
⁸ Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Abstract

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) causes more than a million deaths globally per year due to infections incurable with currently available antibiotics. Failing to effectively address AMR will have significant negative consequences for Canadians and the Canadian economy. Canada is behind on allocation of required funding and nationally coordinated AMR mitigation strategies relative to other high-income countries. A Pan-Canadian AMR action plan and development of a new governance model is pending. Recent AMR-specific funding commitments are significant but fall short while distribution of funds indicate a siloed approach. Canada could initiate progress towards AMR mitigation through incorporation within the scope of budget allocations intended for COVID-19 recovery and mitigation efforts. We discuss the following components for inclusion: development of infectious disease diagnostics and therapeutics; antimicrobial stewardship interventions in long-term care and Indigenous communities; environmental monitoring of AMR; comprehensive antimicrobial use, and AMR surveillance; and support for capacity-building in low and middle-income countries.

Keywords: Antibiotic development; Antimicrobial resistance; Antimicrobial stewardship; Canada; Federal budget; Federalism; Governance; Resistant bacteria; Surveillance.

Publication types

Review