Social sciences in AMR research and innovation

Integration in the future One Health AMR Partnership

Live webinar 10 January 2023, 10.00-12.00 CET

Resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobials is an emerging threat to public health. It is expected to account for 10 million deaths worldwide in 2050 if there is not an urgent reaction from public authorities. Although the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is, per se, a biological process, the context that determines the emergence and impact of resistance is underpinned by social aspects. It is necessary to identify these social aspects and consider them while designing prevention and control strategies against AMR using a One Health approach (including human health, animal health, plants, environment and food).

AMR can only be tackled in a multidisciplinary manner, and there is a clear need to integrate the full spectrum of social science and humanities (SSH) disciplines, including economics, political science, ethics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and law. Some relevant questions are: How do regulatory and economic frameworks influence antimicrobial development, production, availability, and use? How do the public, healthcare professionals, and patients understand, value, and use antimicrobials?

In response to the urgent need for a better understanding and support the development ofnovel solutions to tackle AMR, a joint research programme, the One Health AMR partnership within the framework of Horizon Europe is expected to be launched in 2025. This partnership is currently under preparation by the DESIGN OH AMR consortium, and the draft Research and Innovation Objectives of the partnership have recently been published for open consultation. We encourage you to read this document and provide your input by participating in the survey that is available until 16 January.

This webinar will provide an overview of the OH AMR partnership and how social sciences and humanities are integrated with the research and innovation objectives. We will also share examples of how social sciences have contributed to projects funded previously by JPIAMR.

The agenda will be updated continuously and finalised by early January.

This webinar aims to inform about the integration of social sciences into the future OH AMR partnership and to encourage social scientists to provide input on the Research and Innovation Objectives by participating in the ongoing open consultation by replying to the survey. The webinar is supported by the Horizon Europe CSA “DESIGN OH AMR".

Contact information

For any questions please contact the JPIAMR secretariat, secretariat.jpiamr@vr.se