World leaders commit to tackling antimicrobial resistance with resources and collective action

World leaders meeting at the UN headquarters in New York adopted this Thursday the Political Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistancea commitment to financing, governance and coordinated response to that problem, one of the biggest in the public health arena.

The consensus approval of the document occurs within the framework of the high-level segment of the debate of the General Assemblywhich is celebrating its 79th session.

The Declaration recognizes antimicrobial resistance as a major threat to global health and advocates for immediate collective action to safeguard the ability to treat human, animal and plant diseases, as well as improve food security, nutrition and food safety.

According to the text, this orchestrated work would also allow for the promotion of economic development, equity and a healthy environmentin addition to advancing the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.

Without a strong response, life expectancy will decrease

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) document almost five million deaths associated with drug-resistant bacterial infections, 1.27 million of them directly attributable to bacterial resistance to antimicrobials. 20% of the deaths were children under five years of age.

Faced with these data and trends, the health agency warned that without a more energetic response, average life expectancy would decrease by 1.8 years by 2050 at a global level.

In this context, the Declaration admits that while antimicrobial resistance affects people of all ages and knows no borders, “the burden falls disproportionately on developing countries and people in vulnerable situations” whose access to adequate, safe, effective and affordable antimicrobials and diagnostic tools is responsible for more deaths than antimicrobial resistance.

Therefore, he adds, joint efforts and international cooperation are imperative.

Translate document into action

In the High Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistancewhich began with the adoption of the Declaration, the director general of the WHO pointed out that if the text is translated into action, drug resistance can be stopped, will expand access to antibiotics and stimulate the development of new medicines against infections.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus affirmed that the Declaration is a good first step with a Global Action Plan that will enter into force in 2026, and urged all Member States “to take immediate action on the commitments made today”, endorsing the alacrity of the WHO to support them in the task.

In his opinion, the adoption of the document is a strong signal that countries are committed to addressing the global threat, stressing that this commitment is necessary since Antimicrobial resistance could undo 100 years of medical progress and turn infections that are easily treatable today into a death sentence.

The risk is here and now

Tedros recalled that the inventor of penicillin warned the world about the dangers of antimicrobial resistance in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech in 1945. “And that It is not a hypothetical risk for the future. It is here and now”, he emphasized.

In addition to the expressed will, “more work and more money” is urgently needed to stay ahead of the danger and achieve the Declaration’s goal of reducing global deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance by 10% by 2030.

The head of the WHO thanked the work of the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, the main promoter of the Declaration and president of the Group of Global Leaders on Antimicrobial Resistance.

Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, participated in the High Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Investment in the future

Addressing participants in the conclave, Mottley called for immediate action under the Declaration, urging the raising of the financial resources necessary for the Global Action Plan.

It is about an investment in our future, in our children, in our infrastructurein how we care for animals, in how we run our businesses and how we work on our farms and hospitals, and in how we prepare for the pandemic, he said.

In this sense, he emphasized the need to increase funding for research on antimicrobial resistance and help the countries most affected by the problem.

Mottley also insisted on the urgency for world leaders to commit to generate awareness and build a future in which people are protected against the risk of antimicrobial resistance, “one of the leading causes of death in our countries right now.”

But the worst is not that, the president added, “the worst part is that will be the leading cause of death in 2050”, so it is important to protect the younger generation, who will be the ones who will deal with the threat of “a silent, slow-motion pandemic.”

The Prime Minister also addressed people in general, asking them to stop overusing or misusing antibiotics.

A doctor examines a sample in a microbiology laboratory at a Nigerian teaching hospital.

It also affects food production

The Deputy Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), also present at the meeting, warned that antimicrobial resistance threatens human, animal and plant health by affect everything from food production to ecosystems.

Thanawat Tiensin explained that rapid population growth, climate change and the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance demand a rethinking the approach to food production.

“We must reduce the need for antimicrobials and set the highest standard for animal and plant health,” he noted, urging continued research and work to achieve both goals.

It’s not a minor problem

In the same vein, the director of the World Organization for Animal Health emphasized that antimicrobial resistance It is not a minor problem.

Emmanuelle Soubeyran cited a recent report that revealed that drug-resistant pathogens could endanger the food security of more than 2 billion people in the world.

“The time to act is now,” Souveyran urged.

In Kenya, chicken samples are being analyzed as part of research into drug-resistant bacteria.

Burden on health and development

For his part, the director of Health and Nutrition of the World Bank said that antimicrobial resistance burdens global health and poses a challenge for developmentgiven its disproportionate negative impact on low- and middle-income countries.

Juan Pablo Uribe maintained that this phenomenon constitutes a threat to global security, human capital and economic development.

It is no exaggeration to say that it is urgent to address this emergency and that “immediate and viable measures are required, as well as a strong political leadership to make coordinated efforts,” he said.

Uribe explained that the World Bank has committed $2.9 billion to respond to antimicrobial resistance in 40 countriesand announced that the financial institution will continue to increase investments and direct knowledge initiatives to continue analyzing the socioeconomic impact of this phenomenon.