Published in PLOS Global Public Health during World AMR Awareness Week, the analysis shows that 89 countries have no publicly available genomic data for key drug-resistant pathogens, and 146 have not been able to contribute any data since 2020.
AMR already causes more than a million deaths each year and makes routine medical care increasingly challenging. The authors stress that without stronger and more equitable global surveillance systems, resistant infections will continue to undermine modern medicine.
The study uses data drawn from amr.watch, a freely accessible platform developed by Oxford’s Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance (CGPS) at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine. Despite more than 620,000 genomes being available globally, nearly 90% come from high-income countries, with the USA and UK alone contributing over 65%. Barriers such as limited laboratory capacity, high costs, and data infrastructure gaps continue to hinder sequencing efforts in many low- and middle-income regions.
Professor David Aanensen, Director of CGPS, calls for immediate action: “We cannot afford to lose the momentum gained during COVID-19. Despite AMR causing millions of deaths, most genomic data still comes from a handful of high-income countries, leaving dangerous blind spots. We need urgent investment in global surveillance so every region has the tools to detect and respond to emerging resistant infections.”
Lead author Sophia David emphasises that genomic surveillance “only works when the world is connected,” highlighting the need for investment in local expertise, common standards, and data sharing built on trust.
The authors note that rapid data sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic proved what is possible. Similar approaches are now needed for AMR, and the study provides a roadmap for where global effort must be focused. Their call for swift, coordinated action echoes a recent article in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, urging the development of truly global genomic warning systems that address current surveillance inequities. The amr.watch platform complements WHO GLASS and the Global Genomic Surveillance Strategy in building more effective worldwide preparedness.
To read more about this, visit the The Pandemic Sciences Institute article.