The WHO AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) antibiotic book and prevention of antimicrobial resistance

Guidance on the appropriate use of antibiotics for common infections is lacking in many settings. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently released The WHO AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) antibiotic book which complements the WHO Model list of essential medicines and WHO Model list of essential medicines for children. The book gives specific guidance on the empiric use of antibiotics in the model lists with a strong emphasis on the AWaRe framework, which is centred around the risk of antimicrobial resistance development associated with the use of different antibiotics. Recommendations in the book cover 34 common infections in primary and hospital care both for children and adults. The book also includes a section on the use of the last-resort Reserve antibiotics, whose use should be restricted to very selected cases when an infection is confirmed or suspected to be caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens. The book highlights the use of first-line Access antibiotics or no antibiotic care if this is the safest approach for the patient. Here we present the background behind the development of the AWaRe book and the evidence behind its recommendations. We also outline how the book could be used in different settings to help reach the WHO target of increasing the proportion of global consumption of Access antibiotics to at least 60% of total consumption. The guidance in the book will also more broadly contribute to improving universal health coverage.

Automated summary

There is a lack of guidance on the appropriate use of antibiotics for common infections in many settings. The recently released WHO AWaRe antibiotic book provides specific guidance on the use of antibiotics in different settings and emphasizes the risk of antimicrobial resistance. The book covers 34 common infections and includes recommendations on the use of last-resort Reserve antibiotics, as well as the use of first-line Access antibiotics or no antibiotic care when it is the safest approach. It can help achieve the WHO target of increasing the proportion of global consumption of Access antibiotics to at least 60% and contribute to improving universal health coverage.