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Tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally

AMR is a global threat. The widespread use of antimicrobials has resulted in more resistant organisms, which may result in some infectious diseases becoming untreatable.

AMR is emerging as one of the most significant global health threats of the 21st century. The 2022 Global Burden of Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance report attributes AMR to at least 1.27 million deaths annually. Health economists warn that if current trends persist, AMR could result in more than $100 trillion in lost economic activity and up to ten million deaths annually by 2050. This would destabilise societies and economies, with low- and middle-income countries bearing a disproportionate burden due to limited access to effective antibiotics, inadequate surveillance, and strained healthcare systems. AMR affects every country and can easily cross borders. However, by acting collectively and using evidence-based strategies, we can mitigate the spread.

Tackling antimicrobial resistance, a programme that has been developed by The Fleming Fund and The Open University, comprises a series of online courses. The aim of the programme is to help you to identify, develop and apply skills and knowledge relevant to your role as an AMR professional in order to change and improve your working practice and the practice of people with whom you work.

Scroll down to access the pathways and courses and download the flyer and brochure to share information about this programme.

Download the transcript

Watch this short introduction video to discover more about the courses and learner pathways in the Tackling AMR programme. You'll also learn how to get started, enrol in your first course, and begin your journey toward earning digital badges, statements of participation and a Certificate of Completion.

Take these seven steps to help tackle AMR

STEP 1: REGISTRATION

Complete the Registration Form

Help us to get to know you better and understand how this programme can support your learning about AMR. You only need to complete this once.

REGISTRATION FORM

STEP 2: GOALS

Identify your learning goals

Take the first course, AMR surveillance and you, to identify your learning goals and plan your learning pathway.

START FIRST COURSE

STEP 3:YOUR PATHWAY

Click on your study pathway below

The individual courses in this programme are organised into learning pathways. You can choose to study a course independently to achieve a digital badge and Statement of Participation or complete all of the courses on the pathway that corresponds to your profession in order to achieve a Fleming Fund pathway Certificate of Completion.

Click on your study pathway

Laboratory professionals (human) Laboratory professionals (animal)

Click on your study pathway

Senior laboratory professionals (human) Senior laboratory professionals (animal)

Click on your study pathway

Clinical services professionals Senior management (clinical)

Click on your study pathway

Veterinary service professionals Senior management (veterinary)

Click on your study pathway

Policy-makers

Click on your study pathway

Data scientists/epidemiologists

STEP 4: DIGITAL BADGE

Claim your digital badge and Statement of Participation for each course

Take the quiz and complete the course satisfaction survey at the end of each course to claim your digital badge and Statement of Participation for that course. You will be able to add the badge to your CV or your LinkedIn profile, to show what you have learned, and download or print out the Statement of Participation.

STEP 5: CERTIFICATE

Claim your Fleming Fund pathway Certificate of Completion

Complete all the courses in the pathway you selected and claim a Fleming Fund Pathway Certificate of Completion – congratulations!

STEP 6: TOOLKIT

Use the AMR surveillance toolkit

Find tools and additional resources to help you and your team make informed decisions about your involvement in AMR work and implementing effective AMR surveillance.

AMR TOOLKIT

STEP 7: FEEDBACK

Tell us what you think!

Please tell us what you think! Help us to understand how effective this programme has been for you and what else we could do to support your learning at work around AMR.

PLEASE FEEDBACK

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)'s Fleming Fund is a UK aid programme supporting up to 25 countries across Africa and Asia to tackle AMR, a leading contributor to deaths from infectious diseases worldwide. The Fleming Fund invests in strengthening AMR surveillance systems through a portfolio of country grants, regional grants, and fellowships managed by Mott MacDonald and global projects managed by DHSC.

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AMR surveillance and you (2025)

This course supports you to identify the skills and knowledge needed for your role. You can also reflect on how your learning from other courses in the programme could change your working practice in relation to AMR.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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The problem of antimicrobial resistance (2025)

This course introduces the problem of AMR in a global and One Health context. It introduces the scale and scope of the problem and the factors that contribute to AMR.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Introducing antimicrobial resistance (2025)

This course introduces how antibiotics work and how bacteria acquire and transmit resistance. It highlights examples of resistance mechanisms and pathogen-antimicrobial combinations from animal or human health.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Antimicrobial resistance in animals (2025)

This course introduces the use of antimicrobials in animals to protect animal health and welfare, contribute to food safety and protect public health.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Isolating and identifying bacteria (human health) (2025)

This course covers microbiology techniques for isolating and identifying bacteria in clinical laboratories, including the key principles around sample collection and transport, and storage of isolates.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Isolating and identifying bacteria (animal health) (2025)

This course examines the requirements for isolating and identifying pathogens important it animal health. It describes the importance of correct sampling, good laboratory practice and quality control measures.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (2025)

This course covers disk diffusion tests and gives an overview of minimum inhibitory concentrations and breakpoints. It introduces data reporting and the importance of quality assurance in this process.

6 hrs
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6 hrs
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Testing for mechanisms of resistance (2025)

This course covers phenotypic and genotypic laboratory techniques that are used to test for common mechanisms of resistance. It emphasises the importance of good quality data and practices.

6 hrs
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6 hrs
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Quality assurance and AMR surveillance (2025)

This course covers the key principles underlying laboratory quality and the processes a laboratory puts in place to ensure it operates to a consistently high standard and generates good quality data.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Introducing a One Health approach to AMR (2025)

This course introduces the concept of One Health and explains the importance of a One Health approach in tackling AMR. It emphasises how a complex mix of factors involving humans, animals, aquatic species, plants and the environment contribute to the spread of AMR within and between sectors.

6 hrs
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6 hrs
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An introduction to AMR surveillance (2025)

This course introduces the principles of surveillance with particular emphasis on AMR surveillance.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Introducing AMR surveillance systems (2025)

This course introduces AMR surveillance systems and the One Health approach to AMR surveillance. It provides and overview of the relationships between AMR surveillance systems in humans, animals and the environment. It also introduces local, national and global AMR surveillance networks and covers the functions of these networks, the types of data that are collected and the uses of this data.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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AMR surveillance in animals (2025)

This course describes the approaches to surveillance that take place in an animal health context. It explains the concepts of AMR, AMU and AMC and what data are obtained in each category. It also discusses antimicrobial residues and the importance of maintaining surveillance of these products.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Sampling (human health) (2025)

This course looks at sampling for AMR surveillance in human health drawing comparisons to animal health to emphasise the importance of One Health approaches in AMR.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Sampling (animal health) (2025)

This course looks at sampling for AMR surveillance in livestock and aquatic animal health drawing comparisons to human health to emphasise the importance of One Health approaches in AMR.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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An overview of national AMR surveillance (2025)

Building on concepts from the Introducing AMR surveillance systems course this course explores national AMR surveillance systems.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Communicating AMR data to stakeholders (2025)

This course focuses on effectively communicating AMR data to stakeholder and how effective communication strategies can maximise the impact of data on antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial use and antimicrobial consumption.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Legal and ethical considerations in AMR data (2025)

This course introduces key concepts in medical, public health and animal ethics and shows how they relate to AMR. It introduces the role of international legal frameworks and governance mechanisms relevant to AMR whilst highlighting that this is an emerging area of research and practice.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Fundamentals of data for AMR (2025)

This course introduces the basic concepts, definitions and sources of data related to antimicrobial resistance. It reviews why data on AMR, antimicrobial use and antimicrobial consumption needs to be collected, analysed and reported. Introduces important concepts related to error and bias and how they affect the interpretation and use of AMR related data.

6 hrs
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6 hrs
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Using AMR data for policy-making (2025)

This course explores how AMR data can be used to develop effective policies and how to communicate science data to policymakers.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Processing and analysing AMR data (2025)

This course looks at how AMR data is transformed into information. It provides an overview of the stages from data collection, to data management and data analysis. It introduces core concepts, approaches and methods for analysing data and how they lend themselves to answering important questions about AMR.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Summarising and presenting AMR data (2025)

This course introduces common ways of summarising data visually, reviews the strengths and limitations of each approach, and discusses how visual summaries can be used to enhance the analysis of AMR-related data. The course explores the effectiveness of visual summaries in communicating important information to a wide range of people.

6 hrs
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6 hrs
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Antimicrobial stewardship in clinical practice (2025)

This course focuses on the principles and practice of antimicrobial stewardship in the clinical context. It discusses prescribing practices, the use of antimicrobials for therapeutic purposes and the ways that practices can be improved to mitigate the impact of AMR.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Diagnostic stewardship in clinical practice (2025)

This course is aimed at non-laboratory personnel. It explains basic laboratory methods, introduces different stages of laboratory processes and discusses factors that contribute to the performance and cost-effectiveness of tests.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Antimicrobial stewardship in animal health (2025)

This course provides an overview of antimicrobial stewardship in animal health including prescribing and the use of antimicrobials for therapeutic and non-therapeutic purposes and the role of diagnostics in guiding therapeutic decisions in food animal production.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Gender and equity in AMR surveillance (2025)

This course examines how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is shaped by both biological and social determinants of health; and what this means for global health policy and practice.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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AMR in the environment (2025)

This course explores the environmental dimensions of AMR and the role of environmental surveillance as part of a One Health multisectoral approach to addressing AMR.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Whole genome sequencing in AMR surveillance (2025)

This course introduces the basics of whole genome sequencing and how it can be applied to AMR surveillance efforts in your country or region.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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The health and economic burden of AMR (2025)

This course provides an overview of the burden of disease that bacterial AMR is responsible for, including both morbidity and mortality, and introduces the economics of bacterial AMR.

6 hrs
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Course

6 hrs
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Tackling antimicrobial resistance: the AMR surveillance toolkit

This toolkit is a guide for managers, team leads and senior staff in health settings in AMR surveillance networks.

2 hrs
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Guide

2 hrs
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Tackling antimicrobial resistance: surveys

Registration and feedback forms for the Fleming Fund programme Tackling antimicrobial resistance.

1 hr
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1 hr
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Pathway of AMR for a laboratory professional in human health

Pathway for laboratory technicians or assistants, technologists and laboratory scientists in the human health sector. Pathway courses cover good laboratory practice and management, the One Health approach to tackling AMR, surveillance in AMR, and the processing, analysing and use of AMR data.

90 hrs
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90 hrs
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Pathway of AMR for a laboratory professional in animal health

Pathway for laboratory technicians or assistants, technologists and laboratory scientists in the animal health sector. Courses cover good laboratory practice and management, the One Health approach to tackling AMR, surveillance in AMR, and the processing, analysing and use of AMR data and antibiotic stewardship in the animal sector.

102 hrs
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102 hrs
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Pathway of AMR for a senior laboratory professional in human health

Pathway for heads or manager of a laboratory or head of unit in the human health sector. Courses cover good laboratory practice and management, the One Health approach to tackling AMR, surveillance in AMR including national surveillance systems, and the processing, analysing and use of AMR data and antibiotic stewardship in the human health sector.

114 hrs
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Material

114 hrs
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Pathway of AMR for a senior laboratory professional in animal health

Pathway for laboratory heads or managers or heads of unit in the animal health sector. Courses cover good laboratory practice and management, the One Health approach to tackling AMR, surveillance in AMR including national surveillance systems, and the processing, analysing and use of AMR data and antibiotic stewardship in the animal health sector.

126 hrs
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126 hrs
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Pathway of AMR for a clinical services professional

Pathway for clinicians, nurses, pharmacists and clinical officers. Courses cover the One Health approach to tackling AMR, surveillance in AMR, and the processing, analysing, summarising, presenting and use of AMR data and antibiotic stewardship in clinical services.

96 hrs
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96 hrs
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Pathway of AMR for a senior management clinical services professional

Pathway for heads of hospitals, chairs of IPU committees/drugs and therapeutics/resources and superintendents. Courses cover the One Health approach to tackling AMR, surveillance in AMR including national surveillance systems, and the handling and communication of AMR data and antibiotic stewardship in clinical services.

114 hrs
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114 hrs
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Pathway of AMR for a veterinary services professional

Pathway for veterinarians, para-veterinarians, farmers, field/veterinarian officers and veterinarian pharmacists. Courses cover good laboratory practice and management, the One Health approach to tackling AMR, surveillance in AMR, and the fundamentals of AMR data management and its use for communication and antibiotic stewardship in the animal health sector.

108 hrs
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108 hrs
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Pathway of AMR for a senior management veterinary services professional

Pathway for directors or deputy directors of veterinary services. Courses cover good laboratory practice and management, the One Health approach to tackling AMR, surveillance in AMR including national surveillance systems, and the handling and communication of AMR data and antibiotic stewardship in the veterinary sector.

126 hrs
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126 hrs
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Pathway of AMR for policy-makers

Pathway for members of the AMR Secretariat, government departments of health, agriculture, livestock and fisheries, and representatives from the WHO, FAO, OIE. Courses cover the One Health approach to tackling AMR, surveillance in AMR including national surveillance systems, and the processing, analysing, summarising and presenting of AMR data and its use for communication and policy-making.

120 hrs
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120 hrs
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Pathway of AMR for data scientists and epidemiologists

Pathway for data scientists and epidemiologists. Courses cover good laboratory practice and management, the One Health approach to tackling AMR, surveillance in AMR including national surveillance systems, and the processing, analysing, summarising and presenting of AMR data and its use for communication and policy-making.

138 hrs
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138 hrs