August 13, 2025
Overview:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an escalating global health challenge that demands solutions beyond medical and technical interventions. A key part of this solution is ensuring equitable access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for all.
This collaborative article by One Health Trust explores how gender norms and inequalities influence people’s vulnerability to AMR, exposure to infections, and access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The work aligns with the World Health Organization’s people-centered approach to addressing AMR in the human health sector.
The Question:
What does existing evidence tell us about gender influences on AMR, and how can this knowledge be applied to develop gender-responsive AMR policies, programs, and interventions?
The Findings:
The researchers analyzed 141 studies published between 2000 and 2025, findings show that restrictive gender norms and societal expectations can lead some communities to value children of one gender (often boys) over the others, granting them greater privileges and opportunities. These norms contribute to differences in vulnerability to AMR, exposure to infections, and disparities in access to diagnosis and treatment. For example, women often take on caregiving roles that increase their risk of infection, while also facing limited access to healthcare, medicines, reliable health information, and decision-making power over their health. Such barriers can delay or prevent timely diagnosis and treatment.
Addressing AMR requires policies that identify and tackle these systemic gender barriers to ensure equal access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for drug-resistant infections.
Read the article in Global Public Health here.
