Updates from the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions

In June, ICARS co-hosted a high-level roundtable at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference with ReAct Africa, where global leaders endorsed the Hamburg Joint Statement on AMR, calling for sustainable financing and local action.

In Lusaka, in June, ICARS co-hosted and participated in the ReAct Africa–South Centre Regional AMR Conference, focused on operationalising global commitments in African and LMIC contexts. On the sidelines, ICARS also hosted a dedicated project day to promote collaboration and alignment among its African project teams.

In May, during the World Health Assembly, ICARS joined discussions on establishing an independent panel to guide global AMR action with scientific, multisectoral evidence.

ICARS and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) launched a new project in the Philippines to boost vaccine uptake as a strategy to mitigate AMR. The initiative focuses on integrating vaccination programmes with AMR control efforts, targeting key vaccines and using data-driven approaches to reduce antibiotic use and strengthen public health responses.

ICARS and IDRC launched a 14-month One Health project to assess and strengthen AMR prevention and control across 10 Caribbean countries. Funded by the UK Fleming Fund, the initiative will conduct scoping studies, capacity-strengthening activities, and stakeholder consultations to identify gaps and priorities, inform National Action Plans, and promote regional collaboration on AMR research and policy.

ICARS has launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) to fund up to four small-scale research projects that integrate AMR mitigation with climate-smart livestock and aquaculture systems in LMICs across Asia and the Pacific. The submission deadline is 30 June 2025 at 23:59 CET.

Tunisia became an ICARS Mission Partner on 15 May 2025 by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with ICARS, solidifying its commitment to addressing AMR through sustainable, context-specific strategies.

ACRI and ICARS co-hosted a three-day expert meeting in April to address the intersection of climate change and AMR in LMICs, focusing on livestock and aquaculture systems.

ICARS and Pig Paradigm hosted a global workshop with 45–50 scientists to advance AMR mitigation in the pig sector through implementation research. The session focused on practical skills like problem identification, stakeholder mapping, and intervention selection, using a case study from ICARS’ Colombia project.

In April 2025, ICARS’ Board of Directors met in Copenhagen for strategic discussions about the project portfolio, financial planning, and the upcoming 2026–2030 strategy. They also engaged with key Danish partners to strengthen collaborations and support ICARS’ global mission against antimicrobial resistance.

ICARS staff and project teams from LMICs participated in a hybrid behaviour change training, co-developed by leading universities and held partly in Entebbe, Uganda. Funded by ICARS, the programme equipped participants with behavioural science tools to mitigate AMR by addressing the human behaviours driving antibiotic misuse.

ICARS-supported research was presented at the 35th ESCMID Congress in April 2025, highlighting findings from multiple projects focused on mitigating antimicrobial resistance in LMICs.

The ICARS – A Year in Review 2024 highlights key achievements from across ICARS’ global portfolio, including project results, new partnerships, and policy impact. It offers a snapshot of progress in AMR mitigation and capacity building throughout the year.

ICARS is proud to have contributed technical expertise to the new FAO Livestock MOOC, "Social and Behavioural Science to Address AMR in Agrifood Systems." The course examines how human behaviour affects antimicrobial use in livestock and how behavioural interventions can reduce AMR risks. Register by June 29th.

This webinar, hosted by The Brazilian Ministry of Health, in collaboration with ICARS and the Pan American Health Organization, highlights global efforts to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through the One Health approach, strengthening partnerships in line with the AMR Political Declaration.