Antimicrobial resistance - which for the purpose of this Challenge, refers specifically to resistance of bacteria to antibiotics - is a One Health crisis threatening health, food, and environmental security. Current estimates show that the deaths of 4.95 million people each year are associated with antimicrobial resistance, 1.27 million of which are directly attributable to resistance to antibiotics. That death toll is estimated to increase to 10 million per year by 2050. The loss of functioning antibiotics increases our risk from common medical procedures such as surgery, cancer care, and treatment of everyday infections. If left unchecked, antimicrobial resistance will push 24 million people into extreme poverty by 2030, and result in a loss of $13 billion in livestock value per year. 

Although national action plans have been drawn up to mitigate antimicrobial resistance, investment in research and development is being reinvigorated, and support for laboratory infrastructure in some low-income countries has contributed to increased surveillance, much remains to be done. Our current understanding of antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic use, access, and quality, comes almost exclusively from high-income country hospital and industry settings. Community-level data across the One Health spectrum in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is a major untouched gap.

We need bold thinking, meaningful collaboration and committed action to fill this gap. By harnessing the power of data and technology at the community level - where the majority of antibiotics are used - we can better understand the problem and take action to protect people, animals, and the environment.

The Trinity Challenge on Antimicrobial Resistance seeks solutions which fall into one or more of the following Challenge Objectives:  

• Innovation to identify new sources of data, collection, and analysis

• Integration of existing and novel data sets with citizen-related data (CRD)

• Implementation of more effective policy and action on antimicrobial resistance by using these tools

Solutions might respond to this One Health crisis by, for example: 

• Developing new forms of community surveillance for antimicrobial resistance

• Delivering sustainable access to effective antimicrobials 

• Developing (or updating) more accurate estimates of bacterial disease and antimicrobial resistance burden

• Creating greater understanding of community transmission and drivers of antimicrobial resistance in humans, animals, and food production systems 

• Informing and influencing antimicrobial resistance One Health policy decision making  

• Countering the dissemination of substandard and falsified antimicrobials for bacterial infection 

• Improving farm biosafety and environmental security

For guidance on some of the key questions your solution might seek to address, please refer to our Sample Questions.

Glossary of Key Terms

If you are using any key terminology throughout your challenge description, it can be helpful to define these terms for potential applicants to increase clarity. 

• Citizen-related data (CRD): Data based in the community, which includes health and non-clinical data, such as mobility and climatic, and behavioral data, in addition to that which relates to the food chain (farms and sales) etc.

• Community-level data: Data that is collected outside of hospitals and other formal healthcare facilities and large-scale food production plants

• Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): Countries with a Gross National Income (GNI) less than $13,845 per capita as defined by the World Bank. These include low-income, lower middle-income countries, middle-income countries, and upper middle-income countries

• One Health: Human, animal, and environmental health

• Technology: The application of science and evidence-based knowledge to the practical aims of human life. We welcome solutions that are using apps, SMS technology, software, AI, robots, drones, blockchain, and virtual reality. We also welcome solutions that are leveraging traditional, ancestral, and natural technologies, and knowledge systems