Action Plan Outlines Goals, Objectives for National Strategy to Combat Antibiotic Resistance

The White House has announced a five-year plan to combat antibiotic resistance. Developed in response to an executive order issued by President Barack Obama on September 18, 2014 (see the September 24, 2014, HRC Alerts), the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria proposes five main goals: (1) to slow the emergence of resistant bacteria and prevent the spread of resistant infections; (2) to strengthen national one-health surveillance efforts to combat resistance; (3) to advance development and use of rapid and innovative diagnostic tests for identification and characterization of resistant bacteria; (4) to accelerate basic and applied research and development for new antibiotics, other therapeutics, and vaccines; and (5) to improve international collaboration and capacities for antibiotic-resistance prevention, surveillance, and control and antibiotic research and development.