Launched in 2017, AWaRe categorizes antibiotics into three groups: Access, Watch, and Reserve. This system encourages doctors to use the most effective antibiotics (Access) whenever possible, while reserving others (Watch and Reserve) for serious infections or when other options fail.
- Access: first or second choice antibiotics – offer therapeutic value while minimizing the potential for resistance
- Watch: first or second choice antibiotics – for a limited number of infective syndromes, more prone to be a target of antibiotic resistance and therefore prioritized as targets for stewardship programmes and monitoring
- Reserve: last resort, for life threatening infections due to multi-drug resistant bacteria, closely monitored and prioritized as targets of stewardship programmes to ensure their continued effectiveness.
The World Health Organization (WHO) developed the AWaRe classification system to guide doctors in choosing the right antibiotics for different illnesses. It considers three factors: how well the antibiotic fights the infection, potential side effects, and the risk of creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Updated every two years, AWaRe helps track antibiotic use, set goals for appropriate prescribing, and measure the success of efforts to combat antibiotic resistance. This is crucial because overuse and misuse of antibiotics can render them ineffective against future infections.