Risk assessment for antibiotic resistance in South East Asia

• South East Asia is at high risk of the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance in humans • The risk assessment framework can help countries identify interventions for maximum impact, although isolated interventions will be inadequate • A comprehensive strategy using the One Health approach is needed to contain antibiotic resistance in South East Asia T he indiscriminate use of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine and food production and the release of antibiotics into the environment have led to the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes. The effectiveness of antibiotics is compromised by the growing resistance, and controlling antibiotic resistance is a priority for the World Health Organization. Knowledge is lacking about the biological determinants of the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. Evaluating these determinants is important to identify effective interventions to contain antibiotic resistance. Weak surveillance systems and a lack of data make it difficult to estimate the extent of antibiotic resistance in the WHO South East Asia region. We carried out a qualitative risk assessment to evaluate the relative effects of the main determinants of antibiotic resistance and to estimate the risk of the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance among humans in the WHO South East Asia region.