Objective 5: Research and development

Objective Five of the National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Strategy is to develop a national research agenda. This will advance the discovery of new therapies and ways to prevent, detect and contain AMR.

Why is this important?

Research is essential to:

• understand how to reduce antibiotic use
• investigate alternatives to antibiotics
• develop new antibiotics
• develop new diagnostic technologies.

Research will also help us better understand how resistance develops and how resistant bacteria transfer between:

• animals
• the environment
• food
• people.

View the full details of Objective Five of the National AMR Strategy 2015–2019, including specific priority areas of action.

What are we doing?

• The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funds Centres of Research Excellence to investigate all aspects of AMR. These include:
  • Centre of Research Excellence in Reducing Healthcare Associated Infections. This centre ways to reduce healthcare related infections. It provides data on infection control programs and how they save money for the wider healthcare system.
  • National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship (NCAS). NCAS investigates the gaps in what we know about the links between antibiotic use in humans and animals and antibiotic resistance.
  • Centre for REdefining antibiotic use to reDUce ResistanCE and Prolong the Lives of Antibiotics (REDUCE). REDUCE conducts research to prolong the effectiveness of antimicrobials. It looks to find new ways to treat conditions when current antibiotics stop working.
  • Centre of Research Excellence in Minimising Antibiotic Resistance in the Community  (CRE-MARC). CRE-MARC builds on CREMARA (Centre for Research Excellence in Minimising Antibiotic Resistance for Acute Respiratory Infections) and extends this research into a second phase of implementation and new work in urine and skin infections.
  • Centre of Research Excellence in Protecting the Public from Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID). CREID researches emerging infectious diseases as well as ones that re-appear to protect Australia and our region from emerging threats.
• Research into AMR is a priority of the Medical Research Future Fund.
• Australia contributes to research on AMR through Product Development Partnerships. Two diseases that we are currently researching are how we can combat malaria and tuberculosis in our region, including resistant strains.
• The Institute for Molecular Biosciences Centre for Superbug Solutions undertakes research to:
  • develop a point of care diagnostic
  • find new antibiotics  to develop new drugs
  • discover new compounds with antimicrobial properties.
• Universities across Australia are increasing the research work they currently do into AMR in the animal health sector.

Find out more about what partners from across Australia are doing to support Objective Five of the National AMR Strategy.

Share your activity or research project that supports Objective Five of the National AMR Strategy.