Experts have raised concerns that women’s unequal access to healthcare and exposure to violence are worsening drug-resistant infections, undermining global efforts to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Speaking at a virtual briefing examining AMR through a gender lens, former World Health Organisation Chief Scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, highlighted that violence against women increases their vulnerability to infections, including drug-resistant strains. She noted that women face high risks of intimate partner and domestic violence, which can lead to untreated injuries or infections.

Swaminathan explained that due to social and household roles, women are often less able to seek timely and adequate medical care, increasing the risk of drug-resistant infections. She added that unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions further heighten women’s susceptibility to AMR, while rural women farmers with limited financial autonomy may neglect infections or self-medicate inappropriately.

She also pointed out that women may take incomplete courses of antibiotics, receive incorrect doses, or delay treatment for conditions such as sexually transmitted infections, urinary tract infections, reproductive tract infections, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Swaminathan stressed the need for gender-sensitive stewardship measures and the inclusion of gender-based violence indicators in National Action Plans on AMR.

Echoing these concerns, an Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, Esmita Charani, noted that when healthcare requires out-of-pocket payment, male family members often receive priority over female members.

Similarly, Principal Research Scientist, Indian School of Business, Deepshikha Bhateja, highlighted cultural and societal norms that disadvantage women, including those surrounding menstruation, caregiving responsibilities, job suitability, and son preference, pregnancy, as well as control of financial resources, which collectively impact women’s healthcare access.

A survivor of extensively drug-resistant TB and member of WHO’s AMR Task Force, Bhakti Chavan, described how women diagnosed with TB or HIV/AIDS often conceal their illness due to fear of social stigma. This can result in delayed testing, avoidance of clinics, secretive medication use, or premature treatment discontinuation, further exacerbating AMR risks.