Managing antimicrobial resistance in a changing climate: Insights from a workshop

This paper reports on insights from an interdisciplinary workshop examining antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through the intersecting lenses of climate change, gender, and social inequity, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income country contexts such as South Africa and India. It argues that AMR cannot be effectively addressed through technical or biomedical solutions alone, as climate-related shocks, gendered roles, poverty, race, caste, and unequal access to water, sanitation, healthcare, and antibiotics fundamentally shape exposure to infection, antibiotic use, and resistance. Drawing on expert discussions and case-based exercises, the authors highlight persistent gaps between policy, clinical practice, and community realities, emphasizing that exclusionary governance, poor communication, language barriers, and limited community engagement undermine stewardship efforts. The paper concludes that managing AMR in a changing climate requires an explicitly intersectional, One Health approach that centers community voices, integrates social determinants into research and policy, balances antibiotic access with stewardship, and strengthens sustained, cross-sector collaboration between communities, researchers, policymakers, and global institutions.