Leveraging donor support to develop a national antimicrobial resistance policy and action plan: Ghana’s success story

BACKGROUND: To mitigate the increasing trend of antimicrobial drug resistance (AMR), the Global Action Plan (GAP) on AMR was adopted at the 68th World Health Assembly in May 2015. Subsequently, member countries were encouraged to mirror the five key strategic objectives of GAP to develop their respective National Action Plans (NAPs) by 2017. Country-specific data on AMR is, however, critical for a comprehensive NAP that will inform policy and also anchor all the objectives of GAP. Systematic reviews have been suggested by some authors to generate relevant data to inform NAP development. OBJECTIVES: This article highlights Ghana’s success story in the development of its AMR policy documents and how it could further be implemented through donor support. METHODS: Literature and desk review of the activities of Ghana’s National Platform on Antimicrobial Resistance leading to the development of the NAP and AMR policy was done. RESULTS: Ghana launched its NAP together with the accompanying policy document in April 2018. Country-specific data, which guided these documents, were obtained by leveraging donor support activities through the National Platform on Antimicrobial Resistance. CONCLUSION: Ghana’s success story on the development of AMR policy documents is pivoted on a strong political will and the leveraging of donor support for specific activities.