War and Antimicrobial Resistance Spread

Kato Jumba K.

Faculty of Science and Technology Kampala International University Uganda

ABSTRACT

Armed conflict significantly exacerbates the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), compounding global public health challenges. Disruption of healthcare systems, population displacement, and unregulated antimicrobial use in crisis settings create conditions conducive to the proliferation of multidrug-resistant pathogens. Conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Iraq illustrate how war undermines infection prevention, surveillance, and stewardship, while amplifying transmission dynamics both within and across national borders. The combination of damaged infrastructure, inadequate pharmaceutical supply chains, and compromised governance hinders effective response, surveillance, and stewardship interventions. This review highlights the mechanisms linking conflict to AMR, explores public health and regional consequences, and underscores the ethical and policy dimensions of equitable antimicrobial allocation. Strengthening global health governance, implementing context-specific stewardship programs, and enhancing surveillance and supply chain resilience are essential strategies to mitigate AMR in conflict-affected settings. Coordinated international action, grounded in humanitarian law and public health principles, is crucial to prevent long-term global proliferation of resistant pathogens.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), Armed conflict, Population displacement, Health systems disruption, and Global health governance.

CITE AS: Kato Jumba K. (2026). War and Antimicrobial Resistance Spread. IDOSR JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCES 12(1): 77-85. https://doi.org/10.59298/IDOSR/JES/06/1217785