One hundred years of success in antimicrobials: but what will the next 100 years bring?

In the past 100 years, thanks to the discovery and development of antimicrobial therapies, human and veterinary medicine have made a leap forward in treating infectious diseases.

However, resistance mechanisms quickly appeared and spread in all sectors – human, animal and environment – throughout the world, thus jeopardising the progress made. Awareness has been raised only gradually but is now prominent at the global level, due in large part to the action of international organisations such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and antimicrobials are considered a global public health good to be preserved.

Under the leadership of WOAH in particular, the actions undertaken in research, surveillance, information, training, awareness and communication are moving in the right direction towards responsible and prudent use of antimicrobials.

In the next 100 years, the fight against antimicrobial resistance will undeniably remain a crucial challenge for public health, veterinary public health and agriculture. Concerted efforts and scientific innovations, such as in functional genomics and artificial intelligence, could offer solutions to mitigate the impact of this growing threat.

A multidisciplinary and comprehensive One Health approach is necessary to successfully address antimicrobial resistance. International collaboration remains crucial, and international organisations such as WOAH, WHO, FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme must continue their essential role in coordinating these efforts.