Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global concern affecting not only the lives of patients but goes beyond the clinical setting to affect animal and environmental health. AMR threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi. It occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others. This talk will give an overview of AMR, how it has evolved since the introduction of antimicrobials in modern medicine, and discuss ongoing global efforts to stop the spread of AMR.