Protect the medicines that protect us and ensure that all those who need them can access them, so said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director General of The World Health Organization (WHO), at the Strategic Roundtable on “Charting a new path forward for global action against antimicrobial resistance (AMR)” held recently during the 77th World Health Assembly (decision-making body of the WHO which is attended by all countries part of the UN health agency WHO).
He reiterated WHO’s commitment to supporting countries to implement the resolution approved by this year’s World Health Assembly on how to accelerate national and global responses to AMR based on a One Health approach.
The roundtable deliberations overwhelmingly supported the creation of an “independent panel to monitor and report on the science and the evidence to facilitate collaborative and coordinated action against AMR,” as proposed by Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, who is also the Chair of Global Leaders Group on AMR. Referring to data from the recent economic study commissioned by the Global Leaders Group on AMR, she cautioned that without a stronger response AMR will not only result in average loss of life expectancy of 2 years globally by 2035, but also cost the world an additional USD 855 billion annually in extra healthcare costs and lost productivity.
A report developed by Global Leaders Group on AMR to inform the outcomes of this year’s United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on AMR (to be held in September 2024), has proposed, amongst other recommendations, specific global targets to reduce deaths caused by bacterial AMR; promote antibiotic stewardship and responsible use in humans; and reduce antimicrobial use in the agri-food system.
Mottley’s call to governments “to take a whole of society approach in their response to AMR and focus on prevention........