Bridging the gap between researchers and policymakers on antimicrobial resistance solutions

Join us during World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) for a virtual dialogue that will explore the policy bottlenecks that impede promotion and uptake of alternatives to antimicrobials.  

Taking place from November 18 to 24, 2025, WAAW aims to improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and encourage best practices to reduce its emergence and spread. This year, WAAW’s theme, “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future,” is a reminder that AMR is not a future consideration, but one already affecting our health systems, food systems, environments and economies. The global response remains too slow, with persistent gaps in awareness, funding and political commitment.  

The first in our series of two webinars, held on Thursday, November 20, will bring together experts from Africa, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region to discuss how we can bridge the gap between research and policy to advance alternatives to antimicrobials. Researchers and practitioners will unpack why early, coordinated action is critical to shaping effective policy responses in AMR for animal health. 

The discussion will be hosted in English, French and Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation. 

In animal health systems, the pressure to find viable, scalable alternatives to antimicrobials is intensifying. The InnoVet-AMR: Innovative Veterinary Solutions for Antimicrobial Resistance initiative, supported by IDRC and the United Kingdom Department of Health and Social Care, is investing in innovations to reduce antibiotic reliance in livestock production to advance the One Health agenda while safeguarding animal welfare and public health. As antimicrobials are being restricted or banned in some contexts, farmers and private‐sector actors are seeking evidence-based alternatives.  

A bottleneck lies in policy and regulatory dialogue on alternatives. The regulatory and policy discourse remains behind the innovation landscape: few policy spaces exist for policymakers, regulators and technical experts to discuss how to enable prudent antimicrobial use while promoting alternatives. More coordinated conversations are urgently needed to update policies, clarify regulatory pathways and incentivize prudent antimicrobial use alongside alternatives.  

This series is part of IDRC’s broader efforts to support evidence-informed policies for AMR through a One Health approach. The second webinar, “Emerging Systemic Patterns Driving AMR Futures: Global Trends at the Climate-Animal Health Nexus,” will take place on November 24.