5.6 The role of the AMR coordination committee (AMRCC)

Part of the remit of the governance structures is the setting up of the antimicrobial resistance coordination committee (AMRCC). The AMRCC enables the implementation of countries’ NAPs. It does this by developing and executing a strong implementation plan, linked to the country’s national developmental agenda, joined up across sectors. Key considerations when developing an implementation plan are potential impact of AMR surveillance; resources available to scale up existing surveillance infrastructure; and political support and wider stakeholder engagement, both local and national.

The WHO definition of the role of AMRCC is to ‘oversee and, when necessary, to coordinate AMR-related activities in all sectors to ensure a systematic, comprehensive approach’. Figure 4 outlines the responsibilities of AMRCCs.

Figure 4 Typical responsibilities of an AMR coordinating committee (WHO, 2019)

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A multi-coloured wheel numbered one to six with figures of people in the centre. Each number corresponds to a responsibility.

Number one is Leadership and coordination: Lead and coordinate action on AMR across departments and sectors.

Number two is Momentum building: Raise awareness among senior politicians and keep AMR high on the political agenda.

Number three is Advocacy: Lobby for investment in, or realignment of, new and existing programmes to deliver AMR results.

Number four is Communication: Engage senior ministers and strengthen understanding of AMR’s impacts and the risks it poses to development.

Number five is Evidence building: Promote or facilitate a stronger local evidence based on AMR.

Number six is Monitoring: Monitor and report on progress.

There are three arrows pointing to the figures in the centre labelled 'Political support', 'Authority to act' and 'Lines of accountability'.

Figure 4 Typical responsibilities of an AMR coordinating committee (WHO, 2019)

The implementation of NAPs and, by extension, national AMR surveillance systems, is dependent on the availability of resources, extent of cross sectoral collaboration and political will. This makes implementing NAPs difficult in resource-limited settings of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). AMRCCs carry out their responsibility by understanding which AMR activities need to be focused on. The following allow AMRCCs to carry out their function:

• AMRCCs are established with clarity of the roles and responsibilities of those who comprise them.
• The ability exists to adapt and scale up the present AMR surveillance infrastructure, rather than build a new one, which is a resource-heavy process.
• Governance structures are set up, that include stakeholders from government, academia and professional bodies, making cross-sector support for implementing strategies more likely.

The national coordinating centre for AMR surveillance is often a technical working group under the AMRCC. Depending on the country, there may be no separate surveillance NCC, in which case its functions should be fulfilled by the AMRCC.