Strengthening Parliamentary Support for the Fight Against AMR

On 18 October 2025, clerks of parliament met in Lusaka, Zambia, for a one-day workshop hosted by ReAct Africa and Zambia National Public Health Institute on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The session highlighted the critical role clerks play in ensuring that AMR remains on the parliamentary agenda.

Parliamentarians have a powerful influence in shaping policies, allocating resources, and driving accountability in the national response to AMR. While parliamentarians lead debates and decisions, clerks serve as the backbone of these processes. They guide legislative procedures, conduct research, prepare documentation, and ensure that issues like AMR are properly tabled and followed through.

The workshop focused on building clerks’ understanding of AMR as a public health, food security, and development issue. It also explored how parliamentary procedures can be used to integrate AMR into ongoing discussions and policy priorities. Through practical exercises and dialogue, participants identified entry points for action and strategies to support parliamentarians in prioritizing AMR.

By engaging clerks who serve as long-term custodians of institutional knowledge, this initiative is helping to build sustainability and continuity in AMR advocacy. Their strengthened understanding will ensure that parliamentary systems remain informed and proactive in addressing this growing threat.

“The approach to AMR requires a One Health approach; leaders from the National Assembly are critical for advocacy and setting the agenda. Parliament has a key role in raising awareness, prioritization, budget oversight, and multi-sectoral (One Health) collaboration.” Prof. Mirfin Mpundu, Executive Director, ReAct Africa.

“AMR isn’t just a medical issue; it’s a governance challenge that touches every sector of society…. and that’s the reason we feel that it is important that our leaders, our members, from National Assembly are critical to address this as we push for advocacy to address antimicrobial resistance.”Dr Mudenda, Senior AMR Specialist (One Health).

“The National Assembly is an important stakeholder in the promotion of antimicrobial resistance, and as such, it is important that we, too, as the National Assembly, work closely with you. They say our health is our wealth. And so it is important that we promote the health of the environment, as we were taught, the human beings, as well as the animals that live with us. So it is our hope that through this process, we will be able to find linkages where both yourselves and us as National Assembly, we can work hand in hand and promote and address antimicrobial resistance”. Mr Charles Haambote- Director- Social Committee, Committee Clerks Department.

This collaboration marks an important step toward embedding AMR in parliamentary systems and securing long-term institutional commitment to safeguarding health and development.