Antimicrobial Resistance: A Legal and Public Health Perspective

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents one of the most severe and complex global public health crises of the 21st century. It threatens the very foundation of modern medicine, rendering standard treatments ineffective and leading to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of AMR through the dual lenses of public health and law. It begins by outlining the scale and drivers of the AMR crisis from a public health standpoint, including its clinical and economic impacts. The core of the review examines the existing and proposed legal frameworks at national and international levels designed to combat AMR. This includes analysis of pharmaceutical regulation, agricultural use of antimicrobials, infection prevention and control laws, and incentives for research and development (R&D) of novel antimicrobials. The review concludes that while significant scientific and medical efforts are underway, a robust, coordinated, and legally enforceable global response is critically lacking. Effective mitigation of AMR requires a "One Health" approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health, supported by strong legal instruments that translate policy into actionable and accountable measures.