News and Opinions  –  2016

World Health Organization promotes The ReAct Toolbox to guide countries to take action on antimicrobial resistance

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2016-10-26

17 March 2016

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From 14-17 March, the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for the Eastern and Mediterranean Region (WHO EMRO) hosted the first regional workshop on National Action Plans for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Casablanca, Morocco. ReAct contributed to the workshop by introducing the ReAct Toolbox, a web-based resource with information on action against AMR.

ReAct’s contribution has been welcomed by organizers and facilitators of the event:

– The world is in desperate need for action to curb antibiotic resistance. This demands development and implementation of technically sound, evidence informed and inclusive national action plans using standard tools. The Toolbox developed by ReAct is a crucial instrument contributing to the planning process in the countries of our region, for which we are grateful, says Dr. Alireza Mafi, Regional Focal Point for AMR, WHO EMRO.

– Antibiotic resistance is a complex cross-sectorial, global threat. We need to act now, for antibiotics to work in the future. We are very impressed by the ReAct Toolbox, and it is a concrete tool to help nations with their progress to fight antibiotic resistance, adds Dr. Carmem Pessoa, Team Lead AMR, at WHO Headquarters in Geneva.

First step in implementation of National Action Plans on AMR

WHO EMRO has 22 member countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Participants at this meeting included country officials from different policy sectors, as well as representatives from WHO and other UN agencies. The main purpose of the meeting was to equip policymakers from participating countries with the necessary tools and skills to develop and implement National Action Plans on AMR. This will be a crucial step in the fight against drug resistance and is one of the milestones in the implementation of the Global Action Plan on AMR. WHO Headquarters in Geneva have also announced that they will recommend the ReAct Toolbox as a general resource for the implementation of National Action Plans.

– We are very pleased that WHO will integrate the ReAct Toolbox in their work, and we are pleased to contribute to this workshop, says Anna Zorzet, Grant Manager and Coordinator, ReAct Europe.

– We are also happy to announce that ReAct recently received continued core support from the Swedish development agency Sida for the coming 4 years. This will enable us to continue supporting WHO and other national and international organizations working on antimicrobial resistance, she concludes.


The work on the Toolbox has been supported by the Swedish Government, Sida, Uppsala University, Axfoundation and Marie-Claire Cronstedt’s foundation. The Toolbox offers hands-on advice and a comprehensive practical framework to facilitate action on antibiotic resistance. It features input from the ReAct network as well as that of many other stakeholders. To learn more, please visit www.reactgroup.org/toolbox.

For more information, please contact:

Anna Zorzet, Coordinator ReAct Europe: anna.zorzet@medsci.uu.se, Phone: +46 (0)18 471 6676
Bronwen Holloway, Toolbox Project Manager, ReAct Europe: bronwen.holloway@medsci.uu.se, Phone: +46 (0) 700325526