Integrating gender and equity commitments in the revised global action plan on antimicrobial resistance

Since its introduction in 2015, the global action plan (GAP) on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has guided the global response to AMR and the development of 178 national action plans (NAPs). However, GAP and most NAPs do not recognise key social and structural drivers of AMR. This is despite growing evidence on the crucial role of gender inequity and broader socioeconomic dimensions in driving AMR and undermining efforts to address it. Recent high-level strategies and declarations from WHO and the UN emphasise the need for a people-centred approach to address gender and equity dimensions of AMR. As GAP undergoes revision in 2025–26, we suggest human health priority areas to explicitly integrate gender and social determinants of health equity aligned with the 2015 GAP objectives. These priorities are informed by evidence, and broader universal health coverage, primary health care, and Sustainable Development Goals commitments to “leaving no one behind”.