Few national action plans include measures for monitoring antimicrobial resistance in wildlife. Wildlife is largely absent from National Action Plans on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) - government strategies outlining how countries aim to tackle drug-resistant infections - according to a review led by researchers at the Division of Global Agriculture and Food Systems. Researchers examined 177 national plans published in the World Health Organization (WHO) library. Only 20 countries, around 11 per cent, made any reference to wildlife, they found. Where wildlife was mentioned, these were limited to broad statements, rather than practical measures for monitoring or managing AMR. Strengthening wildlife surveillance and integrating wildlife expertise into practical national AMR strategies would support a One Health response to AMR, across people, animals and the environment, the research team concludes One Health challenge The study seeks to better understand efforts to manage AMR, which occurs when bacteria and other microbes evolve to resist medicines that would normally treat infections, making diseases harder to control in people and animals. Because resistant microbes can spread between humans, domestic animals, wildlife and the environment, tackling AMR requires a coordinated One Health approach that considers all sectors. Wildlife has often been overlooked in national AMR policies, despite its potential to provide valuable information about how antimicrobial resistance moves through ecosystems, researchers note. The study also emphasises that wildlife should not be viewed as a cause of antimicrobial resistance, but as a sector affected by the problem that can help improve understanding of where resistance is emerging and spreading. Limited implementation References to wildlife within national action plans cited surveillance as the most frequently proposed wildlife-related activity. However, researchers found that plans rarely explained how this would be implemented in practice. Uganda was highlighted as the only country whose national action plan explicitly included a wildlife-related institution within its governance framework. Meaningful inclusion would involve integrating wildlife expertise into national AMR planning and establishing routine surveillance programmes to better understand the extent and movement of antimicrobial resistance in wildlife populations, the research team explains. Limited research may partly explain why the wildlife sector has received relatively little attention in national action plans, the team explains. Expanding surveillance and research could help generate the data needed to support future policy development. This research was published in JAC – Antimicrobial Resistance. The expanding human population and increasing food demand are leading to encroachment on wildlife habitats. This increases contact among humans, domestic animals, wildlife, and their shared environments. And since antimicrobial resistance can spread across these interconnected sectors, we can no longer overlook wildlife in AMR policies, research, and action. AMR research in wildlife will help us understand AMR dynamics and enable targeted actions such as surveillance. Nick Bor, PhD student and lead author, Division of Global Agriculture and Food Systems Related links Research publication Image credit: Andrew S., Unsplash Tags Agriculture News This article was published on Wednesday 5 August 2026
