“Over the past seven years, bold ideas have translated into meaningful action. ICARS has evolved into a credible, self-governed organisation with a broad and active global network, while remaining anchored in its strong value proposition: partnering with low- and middle-income countries to develop context-appropriate, evidence-informed solutions to mitigate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across the One Health sectors.
Amid dramatic geopolitical shifts, the world cannot afford to lose focus on AMR. As resources decline and crises converge, protecting planetary health requires collaborative, complementary, cost-effective and catalytic action. Now more than ever, ICARS remains committed to working with diverse stakeholders and contributing to global ambitions to mitigate AMR and safeguard sustainable development for generations to come.“
Henrik Wegener, Chair, Board of Directors
Helle Engslund Krarup, Executive Director
A world where drug-resistant infections no longer pose a threat to the health of humans and animals, the environment, global food security and economic prosperity.
To advance implementation of innovative and evidence-informed AMR solutions aligned with national strategic priorities in low-and middle-income countries through research, partnerships and capacity strengthening.
We focus on LMICs, where the burden of AMR is highest, and resources are most limited. Together with partners, we support LMIC-led action across One Health sectors to address locally prioritised AMR challenges.
Working at the intersection of research, policy, and practice, we turn evidence into context-appropriate and cost-effective solutions with sustainable impact. Through partnerships across the public, private and civil society sectors, we amplify LMIC voices, strengthen collaboration and support coordinated action to advance AMR mitigation at national, regional and global levels.
We maintain that sustainable and impactful AMR solutions should be led and driven by LMIC stakeholders, from the country to the community level. ICARS supports country-led initiatives that build on existing efforts and engage diverse stakeholders.
We recognise that the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment is deeply interconnected. We support work in all One Health sectors where added value can be expected and foster collaboration between partners across sectors to ensure coordinated, sustainable solutions.
We are convinced that mitigating AMR requires moving away from siloed approaches and towards collaboration across sectors, disciplines, institutions and society. We work to embed AMR into relevant research, policy and practice to ensure holistic and effective solutions.
We are committed to ensuring the continued and lasting effect of our efforts. We therefore engage in targeted capacity strengthening and focus on solutions that are context-appropriate, feasible and cost-effective in real-world settings, supporting their integration into policy and broader practice.
We believe in leveraging the strengths and resources of different stakeholders and in partnerships based on mutual respects and accountability. We seek synergy and promote a participatory approach that complements existing initiatives.
ICARS brings together national and sub-national governments and in-country stakeholders across One Health sectors. We work with policymakers to prioritise AMR challenges and support scale-up, while collaborating with local institutions, private sector actors, experts and communities to design and test interventions grounded in local realities. This ensures projects are locally owned, aligned with national priorities and context appropriate.
We bridge evidence, policy and practice in LMICs by working across a continuum: from proof-of-concept through implementation to informing scale-up, where the evidence generated through ICARS supported interventions is used in dialogues with ministries to inform policies and practices. Implementation research identifies barriers and enablers to behaviour change, refines strategies and assesses economic impact to ensure interventions are feasible, cost-effective and scalable. Our multidisciplinary approach produces evidence that can inform policies for uptake, adoption and scale-up.
We support partners in testing and adapting evidence for context-appropriate AMR solutions, preserving core elements crucial for effectiveness, and translating these into policy and practice. This is the primary pathway through which we deliver on our Mission.
We collaborate with LMIC partners to identify AMR challenges aligned with national strategic priorities, ensuring local ownership and sustainable impact as core principles. We support projects across One Health sectors, focusing on the testing and adaptation of evidence-based AMR mitigation solutions that have potential for scale-up – such as infection prevention and control, vaccination, diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship, sustainable farming, biosecurity and waste management.
Our approach promotes the uptake of thoroughly assessed, context-appropriate and cost-effective solutions and supports LMIC partners to embed impactful solutions into relevant policies, programmes and systems.
To address resource gaps that hinder broader implementation, we support strategic prioritisation and resource allocation, greater policy coherence and seek to provide catalytic support to bring efforts to scale, including facilitating partners’ access to additional financing opportunities.
Over the next five years we will:
Our work on applied innovation and transformative research complements ICARS’ core focus on evidence testing, adaptation and uptake by supporting innovations and research on AMR mitigation in areas of need.
Rather than developing innovations, we focus on the application and adoption of new innovations that address real-world challenges and respond to various needs in supporting effective and sustainable AMR mitigation. Our efforts centre on innovating through contextualising, improving, and adopting new products, services, and processes to overcome practical barriers. This could include, for example, using rapid diagnostics, AI-enabled stewardship systems, or mobile applications. Anchored in our core principles of local ownership and sustainable impact, this work is driven by LMIC priorities and grounded in clearly defined needs and realities.
To better address AMR and embed it within wider policy and investment priorities, we support transformative and interdisciplinary research that spans beyond a single sector and country. Such research has the potential to challenge and change approaches and shape the broader ecosystem- including climate and environment, human and animal healthcare and food systems. A holistic approach to research has the potential to catalyse system-wide change and deliver more durable and equitable impact than siloed interventions, in line with our core principle of integrated action.
Over the next five years, we will:
Advocacy and engagement with policy are central to advancing AMR mitigation efforts in LMICs, regionally and globally. Creating enabling environments where evidence from local, national and regional settings informs global policy agendas is key to achieving sustainable impact at scale.
The global AMR policy landscape remains fragmented, with responsibilities split across sectors and variable implementation of high-level commitments. AMR is often overshadowed by more visible global health priorities, and LMICs struggle to have their needs reflected in global decision-making due to limited financing, technical capacity and representation.
Guided by our core principles of equitable partnership, local ownership, integrated action and sustainable impact, we engage across One Health sectors to elevate and amplify LMIC voices and leadership in global and regional dialogues.
Strengthening advocacy networks and partnerships amongst LMICs enables knowledge exchange, peer-to-peer learning, coordinated action and raises the profile of AMR as a cross-cutting sustainable development challenge. Our regional presence will further support and facilitate these efforts.
Through engagement in high-level meetings, consultations and multilateral initiatives, we draw upon evidence, data, and business cases from across our project portfolio to inform policy development and advocate for stronger prioritisation of AMR at regional and global levels.
Over the next five years we will:
Capacity strengthening is central to achieving our mission and enabling integrated and sustainable action to mitigate AMR. Capacity Strengthening is cross-cutting and embedded across all areas of our work.
Capacity strengthening focuses on individuals, organisations, systems, and networks operating within the AMR landscape across One Health sectors. Our efforts address identified gaps and encompass our work with partners in evidence testing and adaptation, knowledge translation, applied innovation, transformative research and policy advocacy. Capacity strengthening is fundamental to ensuring the sustainable impact of our collective efforts.
Through our capacity strengthening work – including efforts to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing – we aim to contribute to a critical mass of skilled and knowledgeable stakeholders who are equipped to advance AMR mitigation. Through studentships and mentorships, we aim to support next-generation AMR leaders who can contribute to and strengthen AMR mitigation in and across LMICs.
Over the next five years we will:
Efforts to strengthen governance and organisational effectiveness cuts across all areas of our work, ensuring that our systems and processes are well-functioning, efficient and fit-for-purpose as we pursue our mission and continue to evolve.
Our ambitions for achieving greater impact – including through an expanded regional presence – mean that we must continue ensuring that our structures, models, approaches, methodologies, policies, procedures and staff continue to support the fulfilment of ICARS’ Mission in an optimal manner. This is also key to our long-term ambition for legal status as an international organisation, with at least three countries providing core funding to ICARS.
Expanding and diversifying partnerships and funding is vital for ICARS’ organisational sustainability and ultimately for achieving our mission. We are committed to maintaining high standards of transparency, compliance and performance. Central to this is fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. This ensures that our structures, tools, and processes are fair, accessible and supportive of all stakeholders.
By strengthening our systems, governance and organisational culture, ICARS enhances its ability to learn, adapt and collaborate effectively for sustained impact.
Over the next five years we will:
