Building regional expertise to turn antimicrobial resistance plans into practical actions

24 August 2026, Tunis, Tunisia - The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean brought together experts from across the Region to strengthen the ability of countries to turn antimicrobial resistance (AMR) national action plans (NAPs) into practical, costed programmes of action. The training-of-trainers (ToT), held in Tunisia, aimed to establish a regional pool of experts to support countries move from AMR commitments to implementation.

The ToT curriculum, technical modules, facilitation approaches, practical exercises and supporting materials were developed and delivered by the Global Strategy Lab (GSL)'s AMR Policy Accelerator at York University, Canada, in collaboration with the Regional Office and WHO headquarters.

The training brought together a multidisciplinary group of experts from 9 countries across the Eastern Mediterranean Region, WHO staff and representatives from partner agencies including Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, ReAct and the UK Health Security Agency.

Participants developed practical skills to facilitate the prioritization of NAPs using the Smart Choice Process (SCP), and to estimate the resources required to implement them using the WHO AMR Costing and Budgeting Tool. The workshop also marked the launch of the SCP prioritization e-tool.

Participants engaged in facilitated discussions, group work, country-focused exercises and practical applications covering the different stages of the NAP cycle, including an action plan to follow up activities once they return to their countries.

As well as developing technical skills, the training offered an opportunity for participants to learn from one another and share practical experiences, and laid the foundation for a regional network of trainers to support country-level training and technical support.

The initiative comes at an important juncture - countries have made progress in developing NAPs which now need to be translated into realistic, prioritized interventions with defined responsibilities and credible funding. Strengthening these elements will help countries align priorities with national planning and budgeting processes and support dialogue on domestic and external financing.

"National action plans must move beyond describing ambitions. They should clearly identify priorities that respond to country needs, with realistic costs and clear pathways for implementation. Through this training and collaboration we are equipping regional experts with practical skills and tools to help countries turn their AMR commitments into measurable actions," said Dr Shaffi Fazaludeen Koya, Acting Regional AMR Adviser at the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.

The training, hosted by WHO Country Office Tunisia, was made possible by an AMR Multi-Partner Trust Fund grant with support from the European Commission, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Building on the momentum generated in Tunis, the Regional Office, GSL and partners will facilitate continued peer exchange, provide tailored technical assistance to countries developing or updating their NAPs and explore opportunities to establish a community of practice through which trainers and country teams can share experiences, identify common implementation challenges and jointly develop solutions.