{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,2]],"date-time":"2026-11-02T17:58:25Z","timestamp":1793642305009,"version":"4.5.1"},"reference-count":9,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788393600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a significant global health challenge that defies simple solutions and requires multisectoral coordination and interdisciplinary collaboration. National action plans (NAPs), which are built on the template of the World Health Organization\u2019s Global Action Plan on AMR, offer a critical framework for addressing AMR. However, the lack of measurable targets within many NAPs hinders progress in mitigating AMR and setting up accountability and monitoring frameworks for tracking implementation progress. In this perspective article, we argue that establishing national targets within NAPs will be a critical step towards the effective mitigation of AMR. We selectively review the current landscape of targets in existing NAPs, reflect on the importance of establishing context-specific AMR targets and identify early successes in AMR target development. Finally, we present recommendations for developing clear, measurable, and achievable targets in NAPs to improve AMR outcomes. We finally suggest that success requires not only strong political will but also sustained investments in integrated surveillance infrastructure to facilitate multi-sectoral policy coordination and collaboration in target setting processes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1875275","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T05:22:54Z","timestamp":1788412974000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The need for measurable targets in national action plans on antimicrobial resistance: opportunities for action"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Uswa H.","family":"Shafaque","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"AMR Policy Accelerator, Global Strategy Lab","place":["Toronto, ON, Canada"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Arne","family":"Ruckert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AMR Policy Accelerator, Global Strategy Lab","place":["Toronto, ON, Canada"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samuel","family":"Orubu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AMR Policy Accelerator, Global Strategy Lab","place":["Toronto, ON, Canada"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kayla","family":"Strong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AMR Policy Accelerator, Global Strategy Lab","place":["Toronto, ON, Canada"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Suzanne Garkay","family":"Naro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AMR Policy Accelerator, Global Strategy Lab","place":["Toronto, ON, Canada"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Susan Rogers","family":"Van Katwyk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AMR Policy Accelerator, Global Strategy Lab","place":["Toronto, ON, Canada"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mathieu J. P.","family":"Poirier","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AMR Policy Accelerator, Global Strategy Lab","place":["Toronto, ON, Canada"]},{"name":"School of Global Health, Faculty of Health, York University","place":["North York, ON, Canada"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3589","DOI":"10.2147\/IDR.S342753","article-title":"Antimicrobial resistance rates and surveillance in sub-Saharan Africa: where are we now?","volume":"15","author":"Kariuki","year":"2022","journal-title":"Infect Drug Resist"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e008159","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2021-008159","article-title":"Taking stock of global commitments on antimicrobial resistance","volume":"7","author":"Tejpar","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMJ Glob Health"},{"key":"ref3","year":"2017"},{"key":"ref4","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref5","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref6","year":"2017"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"154","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijid.2020.11.158","article-title":"The effects of Japan\u2019s National Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance on antimicrobial use","volume":"103","author":"Kusama","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Infect Dis"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"661","DOI":"10.2471\/blt.20.280644","article-title":"Thailand\u2019s national strategic plan on antimicrobial resistance: progress and challenges","volume":"99","author":"Sumpradit","year":"2021","journal-title":"Bull World Health Organ"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2020.00109\/full","article-title":"Close to a decade of decrease in antimicrobial usage in Danish pig production\u2013evaluating the effect of the yellow card scheme","author":"Lopes Antunes","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front Vet Sci"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1875275\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T05:22:55Z","timestamp":1788412975000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1875275\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]]},"references-count":9,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1875275"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1875275","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]]},"article-number":"1875275"}}