Eight years after the UNGA hosted a first High-Level Meeting on AMR, progress in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance has been moderate.

According to a new study by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project published in the Lancet, more than 39 million deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections are estimated between now and 2050. In this context, the objective of the second High-Level Meeting on AMR was to refocus global attention on this critical public health threat, secure the necessary resources for implementing national action plans, and reaffirm government commitments to prioritize action.

While in 2016, the focus was clearly on human health, the 2024 declaration takes a One Health and multisectoral approach to tackling AMR.  The Declaration stresses the need to establish mechanisms that support multisectoral partnerships, especially to improve patient access. “We need governments to work with the civil society, the patient groups, the providers, the private sector, and the NGOs at the global, regional, and country levels” explains Bruce Altevogt, Vice-President for Public Health Policy and Strategic Engagement. “Each brings different resources, expertise, and skills that, when effectively harnessed, can drive transformational action. To facilitate such partnerships, we need to build a community of trust. Private companies like bioMérieux have a true interest in advancing public health goals”. Successes have been achieved in other areas, such as HIV-AIDS and COVID-19, where the public and private sectors have been able to come together. 

The Declaration has a number of provisions, that if adopted will improve patient access to and utilization of diagnostics. For example, article 53 specifically calls on governments to improve the “valuation of and investment in innovative, rapid, effective, validated and affordable diagnostics and laboratory systems, ensure the accessibility of quality testing, and promote the optimal utilization of these diagnostics across sectors.”

The Declaration also includes several references to the importance of appropriate, prudent and responsible use of antimicrobials, recognizing the role of diagnostics as a pillar of antimicrobial stewardship.

To understand the impact of AMR, we need to measure it through the collection of data on prevalence, antimicrobial resistance patterns, and mortality and morbidity attributable to resistance. A collection of data which is actively supported by laboratories, through the utilization of diagnostics. The Declaration encourages continued investment to strengthen health systems, and surveillance.

The Declaration invites the Quadripartite organizations (the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Organization for Animal Health, and the United Nations Environment Programme) to establish an independent panel for evidence for action against AMR. Similar to the independent panel for climate change, its mandate is to compile and review data about the current and expected impact of AMR, and to develop recommendations on what needs to be done. While it is important that this panel is independent, independence does not mean isolated. Mechanisms will need to be in place for all stakeholder communities to provide input into the Independent Panel. 

The Declaration commits to scale up action to reduce the global deaths associated with bacterial AMR by 10 % by 2030. To achieve that goal, the Declaration includes a clear set of targets and mechanisms to drive progress and support tangible action against AMR over the next 5 years. “However, the targets alone are not sufficient,” continued Bruce. “As a company, we would like to see high income countries securing resources that support implementation of national action plans in all nations, otherwise targets will not be met and patients will continue to suffer.”

As United Nations member states commit to a new roadmap, it is our collective duty to ensure its adoption and implementation by policymakers. Let us unite and leverage our collective action so that when we reconvene at the next UN high-level meeting on AMR in 2029, we will be celebrating our achievements in bending the curve.