Leaders worldwide adopted a political declaration at the 79th United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance. The agreement aims for particular objectives to lower estimated 4.95 million yearly deaths linked to bacterial AMR by 10% by 2030. The initiative shows that sustainable financing is required at national levels, with efforts to generate $100 million in catalytic financing, which would enable at least 60% of the world’s countries to develop funded national action plans by 2030.
Key organizations endorsing the declaration include the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). These are all organizations who endorse a ‘One Health’ approach, understanding the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
The declaration also sets targets, including that at least 70% of all antibiotics used in human health globally be in the WHO Access group-a set of safer alternatives with much lower potential to contribute to AMR. It also puts much emphasis on infection prevention and control, as illustrated by the outcome objectives of ensuring 100% countries deliver on basic sanitation services in healthcare facilities and 90% meeting WHO’s requirements for its IPC program by 2030.
This declaration to be achieved in the agriculture sector focuses on minimizing antimicrobial use within food systems through preventive measures such as vaccine strategies and more focus on biosecurity. Of course, there also is a thrust for exploring research on environmental aspects of AMR.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu stressed strong financing and partnerships as key enablers to successful implementation. UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen further noted that the environment is a particularly important factor to communicate AMR transmissions.
The declaration is establishing the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR as the primary coordinating body that should facilitate a comprehensive global response. It calls for updating the Global Action Plan on AMR by 2026 with multisectoral cooperation and effective governance as the basis for addressing AMR.
Such commitment by leaders may help enhance the supply of medicines needed and promote efforts to prevent it, while driving innovation to combat this serious global health threat.
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