China's antibiotic resistance policies lack teeth, study finds
A comprehensive review of China's antimicrobial resistance policies reveals critical gaps in enforcement and environmental oversight, threatening public health and business continuity across sectors. Researchers identified 44 policy documents but found weak accountability mechanisms and insufficient coordination—problems that could undermine efforts to contain drug-resistant infections across healthcare, agriculture, and environmental systems.
Originaltitel: Antimicrobial resistance in China across human, animal, and environment sectors: a review of policy documents using a governance framework
<p>Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a multifaceted threat to the human, animal, and environment sectors. In response, China has formulated a series of policies since the 2000s. Thus far, there has been no comprehensive assessment of these policy documents. This study aims to review the content of AMR policy documents at the national level using a governance framework covering three areas: <em>Policy Design</em>; <em>Implementation Tools</em>; and <em>Monitoring and Evaluation</em>. We identified 44 AMR documents from 2003 to 2022 sourced from government agency websites. Our findings have revealed noticeable discrepancies across the three governance areas. The <em>Policy Design</em> and <em>Monitoring and Evaluation</em> areas should be strengthened, particularly in the domains of ‘Coordination’, ‘Accountability’, ‘Sustainability’, and ‘Effectiveness’. From a ‘One Health’ perspective, the environment sector has received less attention compared to the human and animal sectors. Effectively addressing these challenges requires a stronger commitment and widespread support from diverse stakeholders.</p>