Interventions to address antimicrobial resistance in migrants: a systematic review

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat that disproportionately affects structurally marginalized groups, including migrants. Yet migrants are largely absent from AMR surveillance systems and response strategies, creating health inequities and undermining global containment efforts. This systematic review examines the evidence base for interventions targeting AMR in migrant populations, with three objectives to summarize existing research; to identify gaps in data collection, intervention design and outcome measurement; and to propose a path towards more equitable, migrant-inclusive AMR responses. Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase and PubMed (January 2000-December 2025), following PRISMA guidelines using terms related to migration, AMR and interventions. Tuberculosis studies were excluded and we prioritized interventions addressing WHO Critical and High-Priority pathogens. Results: Of 4039 records screened, only four studies met inclusion criteria, therefore we performed a narrative synthesis. Discussion: Across these studies we identified three persistent gaps: (i) surveillance and monitoring rarely stratified data by migration status, ethnicity or country of origin; (ii) interventions were almost exclusively hospital-based, with little attention to community settings or care pathways; and (iii) outcome measurement was limited, with a narrow focus on microbiological endpoints and few robust clinical or equity-sensitive outcomes. Current evidence on AMR interventions for migrants is scarce, fragmented and insufficient to guide policy. Future work should prioritize high-quality, disaggregated surveillance data, contextually appropriate study designs and community-based care models, enabling rigorous, equity-driven evaluation of interventions.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance
Published
2026-04-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/jacamr/dlag059
Primary Topic
Travel-related health issues
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Interventions to address antimicrobial resistance in migrants: a systematic review

Catrin E. Moore, Amelia Williams-Walker, Laura B Nellums, Lucy Lammie
JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance
Travel-related health issues
article

Interventions to address antimicrobial resistance in migrants: a systematic review

Catrin E. Moore, Amelia Williams-Walker, Laura B Nellums, Lucy Lammie
article en

Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat that disproportionately affects structurally marginalized groups, including migrants. Yet migrants are largely absent from AMR surveillance systems and response strategies, creating health inequities and undermining global containment efforts. This systematic review examines the evidence base for interventions targeting AMR in migrant populations, with three objectives to summarize existing research; to identify gaps in data collection, intervention design and outcome measurement; and to propose a path towards more equitable, migrant-inclusive AMR responses. Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase and PubMed (January 2000-December 2025), following PRISMA guidelines using terms related to migration, AMR and interventions. Tuberculosis studies were excluded and we prioritized interventions addressing WHO Critical and High-Priority pathogens. Results: Of 4039 records screened, only four studies met inclusion criteria, therefore we performed a narrative synthesis. Discussion: Across these studies we identified three persistent gaps: (i) surveillance and monitoring rarely stratified data by migration status, ethnicity or country of origin; (ii) interventions were almost exclusively hospital-based, with little attention to community settings or care pathways; and (iii) outcome measurement was limited, with a narrow focus on microbiological endpoints and few robust clinical or equity-sensitive outcomes. Current evidence on AMR interventions for migrants is scarce, fragmented and insufficient to guide policy. Future work should prioritize high-quality, disaggregated surveillance data, contextually appropriate study designs and community-based care models, enabling rigorous, equity-driven evaluation of interventions.

JAC-Antimicrobial ResistanceVol. 8(3)
New Mexico Department of Health (US), St George's, University of London (GB), University of New Mexico (US)
St. George's, University of London
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Travel-related health issues
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.