Why funding cuts could unravel the progress made against antimicrobial resistance

By Dr Izzy Hocking, Brooke's Global Animal Health Advisor.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – when medicines lose their power to kill or stop harmful microbes – turns once-treatable infections into life-threatening conditions for people and animals, while harming ecosystems and the environment.

In 2019, nearly 5 million human deaths worldwide were associated with bacterial AMR. It is one of the most urgent threats to our health. 

Over the past decade, real progress has been achieved through One Health approaches that address human, animal, plant and environmental challenges together. Brooke worked tirelessly to ensure animal health systems were prioritised in the UN General Assembly’s 2024 political declaration on AMR, and we continue to deliver change on the ground. 

In the past year alone, we’ve helped develop treatment guidelines to support better veterinary decision-making in Malawi, Uganda and Zambia, and supported the creation of essential veterinary medicine lists in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and Zambia.

These enure vets have the medicines and vaccines they need and are clear steps towards reducing unnecessary antimicrobial use. 

But as we mark World AMR Awareness Week, we stand at a crossroads: without sustained commitment and funding, these hard-won gains risk being lost. 

Some of Brooke’s most impactful work on AMR has been made possible through the UK Government’s Fleming Fund. This funding has supported vital initiatives to strengthen veterinary services and improve antimicrobial stewardship. 

Yet, the UK Government has announced plans to close the Fleming Fund, and other major donors like USAID have already stripped away critical funding.

Just as we are beginning to see progress through collaborative One Health approaches, these cuts threaten to undo everything. Without sustained investment, the momentum we’ve built will stall, and the global fight against AMR will suffer. 

Weak animal health systems leave farmers and vets with few options beyond antimicrobials, often as a substitute for preventative care or because basic supportive medicines like anti-inflammatories aren’t available.

Without access to testing, vaccines, and trained professionals, misuse becomes inevitable and resistance accelerates. 

The most fragile systems are in low- and middle-income countries, where communities are at greatest risk of suffering the consequences of AMR. And AMR knows no borders: what escalates in one region threatens health everywhere. 

Strengthening animal health systems demands significant investment - financial and ideological - and it won’t happen overnight.

But it is far more cost-effective than developing new antibiotics or treating patients with multi-resistant infections. Sustained commitment is not optional; it’s the only way to win this fight. 

With a global threat like this, we are only as strong as the weakest link in the chain. Too often, that link is animal health systems because governments do not prioritise them. We must protect and expand funding initiatives for animal health system strengthening if we are to stand a chance in combating AMR. 

Governments need to embed veterinary capacity-building, regulatory enforcement, and access to essential medicines and preventive care into AMR strategies. As World AMR Awareness Week reminds us: act now, protect our present and secure our future.