Health experts and patient advocates are sounding the alarm on the dangerous intersection between antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), warning that siloed responses are failing patients and weakening health systems worldwide.
“It is high time to break down silos and build integrated people-centered approaches and resilient health systems that can respond to both AMR and NCDs,” said Dr. Yvan Hutin, Director of the Department of Universal Health Coverage, Communicable Diseases, at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. He called for stronger surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship across human and animal health, investment in diagnostics, and empowering communities to push for equitable access to care.
For patients, the gaps are painfully clear. Ella Balasa, a member of the WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors who lives with cystic fibrosis, described the “fear of ineffective treatments” and the crushing costs that come with drug-resistant infections. “Patient voices are often missing from the policy tables,” she said. “Our stories humanize the statistics. They reveal the gaps in care and the burden placed on our families and communities.”
Experts say the 2025 political declaration on NCDs must reflect this reality. Former Nigerian Health Minister Professor Onyebuchi Chukwuoo urged countries to adopt a three-pronged approach: integrating AMR into national NCD strategies, strengthening infection prevention during patient care, and investing in resilient health systems that can prevent, detect, and respond to both threats.
The risks are particularly acute for cancer patients. Dr. Téa Collins of WHO noted that weakened immunity, frequent hospitalizations, and invasive procedures make them highly vulnerable. “AMR complicates the management of NCDs. The social, economic and environmental factors like poverty and poor housing conditions only worsen outcomes,” she said.
Patient advocates stressed the urgency of building awareness. John Kirkness of the Norwegian Cancer Society pointed out that “one in five patients undergoing cancer treatment ends up hospitalized due to infections,” yet policymakers remain largely unaware of the link between AMR and cancer.
Survivors also highlighted the systemic barriers in low- and middle-income countries, where drug stockouts, delayed diagnostics, and high costs leave patients exposed. “As someone who has lived through the trauma of drug-resistant HIV, I know stories like mine are not just personal, but political,” said Brandon Jaka, another member of the WHO task force. “If we want resilient health systems, we must start by listening to those who lived through their failures.”
From kidney transplant patients waiting days for the right antibiotic, to cancer survivors caught in fragmented care systems, the testimonies underscore a shared message: AMR is not just a microbial threat, it is a survival issue.
“Every one of us can become a patient,” said Borislava Ananieva of the European Patients Forum. “That is why this agenda must matter to everyone.”
As the world moves toward the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs, advocates are pressing governments to recognize AMR as a cross-cutting threat and to enshrine survivor-led advocacy, integrated care, and equitable access to treatment in global health commitments.
