The Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP) welcomes the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) Plan of Action for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). We recognize the Plan as a framework for Member States, non-State actors and health professionals to contribute to wider efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality due to AMR and to curb antibiotic resistance. We will endeavour that both our existing programmes and partnerships, as well as future efforts, will align with and contribute to the Plan of Action’s overarching goals. 

GARDP’s feedback on the Plan 

We note several key elements of the new Plan that align with our mission and values. 

• We welcome the Plan’s recognition that addressing AMR requires both stewardship and sustainable access to effective antibiotics. Ensuring patients receive appropriate and timely treatment is essential for better health outcomes and preserving the effectiveness of existing and future antibiotics. We are particularly pleased to see access to Reserve antibiotics singled out. We look forward to working with PAHO, Ministries of Health, and our partners throughout the region to address existing access and stewardship challenges. 

• We commend the emphasis placed on surveillance, laboratory capacity and diagnostics, which are critical for informing treatment decisions, guiding policy and supporting the responsible use of antimicrobials. We recognize that our ability to contribute to sustainable access and stewardship of new and existing antibiotics is built on the foundations of sound public health systems and data. 

• We welcome the strong focus on research and evidence generation, particularly implementation research. Generating evidence on what works in real-world settings is essential to support effective policies and sustainable solutions. We also encourage Member States to consider how they could work with and contribute to product development programmes within GARDP’s current and future pipeline. 

GARDP’s contributions to the Plan 

GARDP will seek to both align its ongoing collaborations and programmes in the region with the Plan, as well as to identify new activities that help to define and advance the framework for action.   

GARDP is already committed via ongoing activities across the region, including the following activities past and present: 

• In September 2022, GARDP and PAHO kicked off a regional surveillance study on carbapenem-resistant organisms in collaboration with all LAC countries through the Latin American Network for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (ReLAVRA+). The study will allow us to better understand the resistance patterns and priority Reserve antibiotics required to treat the patients most in need. Results are pending publication. 

• In June 2023, GARDP and partners published findings from a global observational study on neonatal sepsis, which included Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences and HC de Ribeirão Preto in Brazil.¹ 

• In September 2024, PAHO and GARDP signed a framework agreement with six priority areas for joint action against AMR, including: strengthening the region’s AMR ecosystem; advancing regional access to existing and novel antimicrobials; optimizing antimicrobial portfolios; and leveraging regional mechanisms for improved antibiotic access.  Ongoing projects under the framework agreement include:  

(1) Efforts to validate new and rapid low-complexity laboratory tests to detect cefiderocol resistance to strengthen surveillance and guide clinical use across the region.  

(2) Gathering data on regional access barriers to identify interventions and inform pilot global activities of SECURE, a GARDP and World Health Organization initiative. 

(3) Identifying regional innovation R&D production capacities as well as priorities to foster alignment of future antibiotic development efforts with regional needs and global AMR strategies. 

• In April 2025, GARDP started working with Fiocruz for the implementation of a Brazil cefiderocol introduction research agenda through its units VPPCB Clinical Research Platform and LabSUR, including a research project for characterization and identification of gaps on the appropriate use of Reserve antibiotics, and identification of most appropriate susceptibility diagnostic for use in clinical laboratories, among others. 

• In July 2025, GARDP collaborated with partners in Argentina, to publish research examining the landscape of Reserve antibiotic access across Latin America and the Caribbean, identifying systematic barriers that prevent patients from receiving appropriate treatment, including regulatory approval, manufacturer participation, formulary inclusion, procurement systems and health technology assessment capacity.² 

• In August 2026, GARDP and PAHO organized a training workshop in Bogotá for LAC reference laboratories participating in the ongoing cefiderocol combination study by the University of Liverpool. The results will help identify promising combinations for highly resistant infections, with the leading candidates expected to undergo further evaluation. Beyond the scientific outputs, the initiative is expected to strengthen regional laboratory networks, support knowledge exchange and build sustainable expertise for antimicrobial-resistance research and future public-health action across LAC. 

Looking ahead, GARDP will prioritize expanding our activities across the region and we welcome collaborations and partnerships with Ministries of Health, research institutions, academic centres and non-State actors.