The Antimicrobial Resistance session at the 2026 IDWC has been designed to tackle one of modern Healthcare's most important issues: antimicrobial resistance. It is now a major threat to Global Health and, ultimately, to modern healthcare systems. The panel will discuss the role that the overuse of antibiotics by physicians in clinical practice and in agriculture has played in the growing number of infections caused by microbes that are "resistant" to traditional antibiotics. Global research will be presented showing the increasing number of organisms that have developed resistance to available antibiotics. Attendees will also gain a better understanding of how AMR affects patient clinical outcomes and the costs associated with treating AMR infections in a healthcare system. The IDWC 2026 program will highlight the urgent need for countries to develop and implement effective stewardship programs. Participants will see case studies regarding the impact of AMR in both hospital and community settings.
Participants will hear from speakers and researchers and can engage in dialogue on effective and responsible physician prescribing practices, raising awareness within healthcare institutions and facilitating coordinated global community responses to the AMR crisis. There will also be a variety of presentations from researchers on innovative approaches to combating antimicrobial resistance, new antibiotic discoveries, and alternative therapies. Attendees will learn more about current progress in the development of bacteriophage therapy and the use of peptides with antimicrobial activity.
The focus of IDWC 2026 is translational research that links laboratory-based research to the clinical application of results; therefore, the inclusion of ways in which artificial intelligence can help in the drug discovery process will highlight the importance of early recognition and intervention. The presentation of the above-mentioned improvements and technologies will offer hope in the fight against the crisis caused by AMR and in improving the quality of healthcare.