The fight against Antimicrobial Resistance requires a focus on gender

How can a gender focus accelerate the fight against AMR?

While men and women share many of the risks posed by AMR, there are biological and occupational factors that increase women’s risk of infection. Childbirth, abortion and sanitary health care all expose women to a large range of infections, making AMR a particularly important consideration in maternal health.

Moreover, female-dominated professions, such as teaching and health care, are also associated with more frequent exposure to infection and disease. Both issues can benefit from each other – for example, from gender analysis of surveillance data and gender-responsive infection prevention and control (IPC) and training.

In addition, AMR strategies that also focus on gender are more people-centred and effective.