BSAC Vanguard Series: Why culture matters to tackle antibiotic resistance

Research has demonstrated that antibiotic prescribing and use are social processes. Despite the availability of guidelines and policies for optimized use, many challenges remain. Whilst much of the research in antimicrobial resistance is focused on new drugs, the socio-cultural and socio-economic drivers for infections and antibiotic use are also important considerations. Context-specific solutions that are co-developed with end users are needed if we are to optimize the use of existing and new antibiotics. The threat of antimicrobial resistance is not subject to geographical boundaries, and to truly be effective, interventions need to have the potential to be scaled to different settings. The inequities in funding, knowledge generation, ownership and transfer between the global North and South must be acknowledged and eradicated. Striking a balance in funding and equity requires in-country capacity building for: (i) delivering sustainable research; (ii) assuring equitable representation in research outputs; and (iii) supporting career progression of researchers through further funding, to support the generation of locally owned knowledge that contributes to optimized healthcare systems and translation into clinical practice.