By Muhammad Amaan
Global leaders have pledged to reduce by 10 per cent, deaths associated with bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) annually, through 2030.
The World Health Organisation WHO on Thursday in a statement said that the global leaders approved the political declaration at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
It said the declaration also calls for sustainable national financing and 100 million dollars in catalytic funding, to help achieve a target of at least 60 per cent of countries having funded national action plans on AMR by 2030.
The UN said that the global leaders are Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), known as the Quadripartite.
“This goal is to be reached through, for example, by diversifying funding sources and securing more contributors to the Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
“The Quadripartite applauds countries for recognising the need for global, regional and national efforts to address AMR through a One Health approach, which recognizes that the health of people, animals, plants
“Also, the wider environment, including ecosystems, are closely linked and interdependent,” it said.
According to the statement, the gobal champions involved with the meeting include Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, AMR survivors, civil society and stakeholder organisations from around the world.
It said that AMR occurred when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to medicines, leading to infections becoming difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.
It said that on human health, the declaration sets a more ambitious target that at least 70 per cent of antibiotics used for human health globally should belong to the WHO Access group antibiotics with relatively minimal side effects and lower potential to cause AMR.
It includes targets around Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), such as 100 per cent of countries having basic water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management services in all health care facilities.
It also includes 90 per cent of countries meeting all WHO’s minimum requirements for IPC programmes by 2030.
“There are also commitments on investments to facilitate equitable access to, and appropriate use of, antimicrobials, as well as on reporting surveillance data on antimicrobial use and AMR across sectors,” it said.
On agriculture and animal health, the world leaders pledged to meaningfully reduce the quantity of antimicrobials used globally in the agri-food systems by prioritising and funding the implementation of measures to prevent and control infections.
This is to be achieved in the context of the WOAH list of priority diseases and FAO’s RENOFARM initiative, as well as preventive strategies, including animal vaccination strategies, good husbandry practices, biosecurity, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
On the environment, the declaration underscored the need to prevent and address the discharge of antimicrobials into the environment.
It also called for increased research and knowledge on the environmental dimensions of AMR and for catalyzing actions to address key sources of antimicrobial pollution.
Acknowledging that AMR is a complex problem, the declaration recognised the need for a multisectoral response combining human, agricultural, animal, and environmental sector-specific interventions, it said.
Mr QU Dongyu., FAO Director-General, said that the intersectoral challenge of AMR demanded a One Health systems approach that unites human, animal, plant, and environmental health, backed by robust and accountable global AMR governance.
According to Dongyu, sustainable, diversified financing is essential to support the setting of clear priorities and measurable targets that drive decisive action while recognising national and regional contexts.
“We must ensure universal access to medicines, treatments, and diagnostics, especially in developing countries and in all sectors, while promoting preventive measures and investing in research, innovation, capacity building, and bold awareness initiatives.
“Our health depends on safe, nutritious food, and food security hinges on healthy, sustainable, resilient, and inclusive agrifood systems.
“For nearly 79 years, FAO has been steadfast in its mission to secure safe, nutritious food for all. We fully support this declaration and remain committed to a multisectoral, multi-stakeholder approach to eliminate AMR risks in agrifood systems,” he said.
Ms Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, said that evidence was mounting that the environment played a significant role in the development, spread and transmission of AMR, including transmission between humans, and animals to humans.
According to Andersen, if humanity is to reduce the burden of AMR and its risks, the environment must be part of the solution.
“Today’s declaration recognises this need, and UNEP will continue to be at the forefront of efforts to reduce the burden of AMR on societies and tackle the triple planetary crisis,” she said.
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said that in the century since Alexander Fleming stumbled across penicillin in a laboratory in London, antibiotics had become a mainstay of medicine, transforming once-deadly infections into treatable and curable conditions.
Ghebreyesus said that antimicrobial resistance threatens to unwind that progress, making it without question one of the most pressing health challenges of the time.
“Today’s declaration includes vital commitments that, if translated into action, will help to track AMR, slow it down, expand access to antimicrobial medicines like antibiotics and spur the development of new ones,” he said.
Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, WOAH Director-General, said that antimicrobials help animals and humans live longer and healthier lives.
“But many of these life-saving drugs are dangerously losing their efficacy, which has devastating impacts not only on human health, but also on livestock and the economy at large,
“Urgent action is needed and we welcome the numerous commitments made by countries through this political declaration.
“The prioritisation of preventative measures against infectious diseases in animals is of paramount importance.
“WOAH will continue to assist countries by developing standards and guidelines, assessing policy frameworks for antimicrobial prescription.
“WOAH will also support the implementation of commitment and vaccination programmes on priority diseases that can help reduce the need for antimicrobials, among other measures,” Soubeyran said.
