Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) poses a critical threat to public health and life-saving medicines. With studies showing that up to 97% of some antibiotics no longer work properly in the country, and AMR being directly responsible for over 26,200 deaths in a single year in Bangladesh. Therefore, urgent, united action is needed to tackle this imminent threat to human beings. Public health experts, policymakers, and community leaders assembled at an important webinar, “From Clinics to Communities: Mobilizing Stakeholders for AMR Awareness & Stewardship in Bangladesh,” held on Monday (24 November 2025). The session was organized by ARK Foundation and conducted via Zoom on the occasion of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) 2025. This year, WAAW is being celebrated across the world with the theme of “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future.”
The webinar aimed to bridge the gap between national policies and local action by mobilizing a multi-sectoral response. Fostering such community-wide awareness and stewardship is vital to curb antibiotic misuse and safeguard these essential medicines for the future. The panelists included Dr. Samsad Rabbani Khan, from the Antimicrobial Resistance Containment (ARC), Viral Hepatitis (VH), and Diarrheal diseases program, Communicable Disease Control, DGHS, MoHFW; Dr. Aninda Rahman, National Professional Officer- AMR, World Health Organization Bangladesh; Dr. Khaleda Islam, Former Director of Primary Health Care, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; and Professor Dr. Rumana Huque, Executive Director of ARK Foundation.
Dr. Aninda Rahman, National Professional Officer-AMR at the World Health Organization Bangladesh, focused on critical gaps in AMR surveillance, including a lack of integrated environmental data from animal sectors and inconsistent laboratory reporting. He recommended implementing a low-cost antimicrobial stewardship package and forming collaborative teams of microbiologists and clinicians to develop effective hospital protocols. He emphasized, “We must create a strong linkage between clinicians and laboratory personnel by forming joint teams to develop protocols and improve reporting quality, which will ultimately enhance the reliability of our laboratory systems.”
Dr. Samsad Rabbani Khan from the ARC, VH and Diarrhea Program at DGHS outlined the challenges in implementing the National Action Plan on AMR, citing limited lab capacity and low motivation among stakeholders as major hurdles. He emphasized the need for sustainable financing and stronger private sector engagement to drive change, and stressed the importance of creating health literacy and awareness through schools to ministry levels. “We must enforce pharmacy regulations through community-level surveillance, taking legal action against pharmacies selling antibiotics without prescription and rewarding those who follow the law,” he stated.
Dr. Khaleda Islam, Former Director of Primary Health Care at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, acknowledged that while Community Healthcare Providers are overburdened, their potential as AMR stewards remains untapped. She emphasized learning from Bangladesh’s successful EPI program, which combined training, low-cost technology, and community trust. She also focused on creating health literacy and awareness through schools to ministry levels. “We must transform the AMR response into a social movement through multi-sectoral engagement, just as we successfully did with the national immunization program,” she urged.
A diverse group of young public health researchers, community workers, drug sellers and civil society representatives joined the webinar.
This webinar was part of ongoing efforts by ARK Foundation and its partners to tackle critical public health challenges through evidence-based policy dialogue and multi-stakeholder engagement, building on previous work in strengthening health systems.
