In December 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released the WHO AWaRe Antibiotic Book. AWaRe (which stands for access, watch and reserve) is a concise, evidence-based guide for choosing antibiotics, doses, routes of administration and duration of treatment for more than 30 of the most common clinical infections in children and adults, in both primary health care and hospital settings. For ease of use, the book is also available in the form of infographics and an online web application, which provides a quick-reference guide for health care professionals at the point of care.

Up until now, easily accessible, evidence-based guidance from trusted sources has been lacking for many common infections in many countries, especially in low- and middle-income settings. The AWaRe antibiotic book is expected to be of particular value in those settings where WHO guidance might be the only high-quality information source available.

Through the Global Action Plan on AMR, WHO is working to improve the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and reduce inappropriate antibiotic consumption. VALUE-Dx shares WHO’s concern that antimicrobial resistance poses a threat to public health globally, and contributes to the fight against AMR by validating diagnostics to optimize antibiotic use. Find out more here.