What CDC Is Doing: Investments & Action

CDC leads the U.S. public health response to combat antimicrobial resistance, a threat that can continuously emerge and spread across the world. CDC’s Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) Solutions Initiative invests in national infrastructure to detect, respond, contain, and prevent resistant infections across healthcare settings, communities, the food supply, and the environment (water, soil).

Funding through CDC’s AR Solutions Initiative supports all 50 state health departments, several local health departments, and Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. CDC also collaborates with other federal agencies, state and local health departments, patients, public health partners, and the private sector to address this threat.

From 2016 through 2023, CDC invested in more than 700 innovative antimicrobial resistance projects in more than 60 countries to slow the spread of resistance domestically and globally. Through these investments and partnerships, CDC is transforming how the nation and world combat antimicrobial resistance at all levels.

CDC’s activities to address antimicrobial resistance achieve the goals outlined in the U.S. National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, released in 2015 and again in 2020. In fiscal year 2016, Congress appropriated an unprecedented $160 million of new investments for CDC to fight antimicrobial resistance. With these investments, CDC implemented the AR Solutions Initiative to work toward meeting the national goals. This appropriation has increased to more than $197 million as of fiscal year 2023. Read more about how CDC leads the public health response to antimicrobial resistance on the pages below and in the latest accomplishments report.