Leveraging disease outbreak news to strengthen the global response to antimicrobial resistance
A call for action
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22069768 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Reuben Kiggundu (0000-0001-6141-9436, Infectious Diseases Institute), J P Waswa (Infectious Diseases Institute, corresponding author), Herman Mwanja (0009-0003-8085-1015, Infectious Diseases Institute), Mackline Hope (Infectious Diseases Institute), Andrew Kambugu (0000-0002-3075-0211, Infectious Diseases Institute), Francis Kakooza (0000-0003-4047-6620, Infectious Diseases Institute), Dathan M Byonanebye (0000-0001-9862-4724, Infectious Diseases Institute) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Pages | 1710596-1710596 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-07 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1710596 |
| PMID | 41573792 |
| OpenAlex | W7118427130 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 54 |
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an escalating global health threat, with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bearing the greatest burden as healthcare facilities become breeding grounds for resistant pathogens, leading to increased morbidity, mortality, and straining of already limited resources. The World Health Organization’s Disease Outbreak News (DONs) has proven invaluable for early warnings and coordinated responses to infectious disease outbreaks like Ebola and COVID-19, yet AMR events remain largely absent from this system, leading to under-detection, limited global visibility, and ineffective interventions. In this paper, we review the historical evolution of DONs, its supporting frameworks, and the dynamics of AMR outbreaks in LMIC healthcare settings to explore how DONs could be adapted for AMR. We recommend standardizing AMR outbreaks reporting, integrating DONs into response efforts, linking AMR surveillance to DONs workflows, and expanding the definition of Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC) to include high-morbidity AMR events, steps that would elevate AMR from a “silent pandemic” to a visible priority
Call to action · Disease · Global health · Health care · Outbreak · Public health · Antibiotic Use and Resistance · Data-Driven Disease Surveillance · Zoonotic diseases and public health
Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance 1990–2021
Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019
Access to effective antimicrobials
Prediction and prevention of the next pandemic zoonosis
Enhancing infection prevention and control through hand hygiene compliance in six Ugandan hospitals using quality improvement approaches
Emerging infectious disease outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa
Impact of wars and natural disasters on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases
Informing the pandemic response
The World Health Organization’s Disease Outbreak News
The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network
Beyond early warning
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |