Antimicrobial resistance disproportionately strikes the poorest and most vulnerable - those already living with life-limiting illness, chronic disease, and crisis. When antimicrobials fail, people do not simply die faster. They die harder - in pain, without dignity. AMR and the absence of palliative care are twin drivers of preventable suffering and both these issues are complicated by access challenges. Access to appropriate and effective antimicrobials is a key facet of palliative care services. The updated Global Action Plan must recognise this connection.
We urge to:
Place patient needs and access to quality-assured health services at the centre of any strategic planning on AMR
Develop clear guidelines on antimicrobial use for indications associated with palliative care
Ensure that when cure fails, essential medicines for pain and symptom relief are available
Train health care workers who manage infections in basic palliative care
AMR strategies must ensure that when medicines can no longer cure, people are not abandoned to suffer. Since palliative care practitioners work with a subset of patients who are more likely to develop infections and die of it, it is essential to include organizations working on palliative care in AMR programmes and strategies.