This report brings together findings from three scoping studies conducted as part of the ICARS-supported People-Centred Caribbean AMR Research and Innovation Project. Focusing on ten Caribbean Community member states, the studies examine the region’s antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research ecosystem, policy and regulatory frameworks, and public engagement and health interventions, drawing on literature reviews, policy analysis, stakeholder interviews and consultations with Caribbean AMR experts.
Key findings include:
- Research ecosystem: An analysis of 193 Caribbean-focused publications found limited collaboration within the region and uneven representation between countries. Only 22% of the publications explicitly addressed gender, while 20% considered animal health, demonstrating opportunities to strengthen equity and One Health perspectives.
- Policy and regulation: A review of 60 policy instruments found uneven progress in developing national action plans across countries. Many existing laws require updating, while multisectoral coordination and policies supporting a One Health approach remain limited.
- Public engagement and interventions: Training, antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention initiatives are advancing. However, interventions remain concentrated in human health, with limited evaluation and constraints in diagnostic capacity, staffing and data sharing.
Based on the findings and an AMR priority-setting workshop, the report identifies five priorities: surveillance and epidemiology; behavioural and intervention research; One Health research; research on vulnerable populations; and economic and policy analysis. It recommends strengthening AMR governance, harmonising surveillance data, building regional research leadership, expanding professional training, integrating gender and equity, and testing context-specific antimicrobial stewardship and infection-prevention interventions.
Acknowledgements
This report draws on three studies commissioned by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) and supported by the UK Department of Health and Social Care. ICARS also thanks the University of the West Indies (UWI), who invited proposals to develop ‘investment cases’ on priority topics following the priority-setting workshop.
