New York, September 25, 2024 (PAHO) – The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, made an urgent call to the international community to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in a solidarity-based and equitable manner. During his speech at a side event prior to the United Nations High-Level Meeting on AMR, Dr. Barbosa emphasized the need to strengthen global collaboration and ensure that all countries have access to the tools and resources necessary to combat this public health crisis.
“The rise of drug-resistant infections is a challenge that knows no borders and puts all of our health security at risk,” Dr. Barbosa said. “Its impact will not be felt equally, and communities with the most vulnerable health systems will bear the burden if we do not act,” he added.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become resistant to medicines, making infections harder to treat and putting the lives of millions of people worldwide at risk. New data estimate that AMR could contribute to an additional 13 million deaths in Latin America between now and 2050, directly causing 3 million of them.
The PAHO Director emphasized the importance of solidarity and equity in the global response to AMR. “We must work together—governments, healthcare providers, researchers, and communities—to share knowledge, resources, and best practices,” he stressed. At the same time, “we must ensure that no one is left behind in our efforts to combat this global threat.”
The United Nations High-Level Meeting on AMR, which takes place on September 26, 2024, is an opportunity to advance the global response to this crisis. World leaders are expected to make concrete commitments to strengthen the prevention, detection, and treatment of AMR, as well as to promote research and development of new antimicrobials.
“I am hopeful that, together, through conversations like this one, we can develop a global response that effectively addresses this pressing threat,” the PAHO Director said at the event “Towards an Equitable Global Response to Antimicrobial Resistance,” organized in parallel to the 79th World Health Assembly by PAHO, the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, the Wellcome Trust, and the United Nations Foundation.
In addition to Dr. Barbosa, the Paraguayan Minister of Health, María Teresa Barán, and the Minister of Health and Wellness of Barbados, Jerome Walcott, among others, also participated in the event. Together, they discussed the disproportionate impacts of AMR on developing countries and vulnerable populations, who lack the resources to respond adequately. This results in a higher burden of disease and mortality, as well as increased healthcare costs and loss of productivity.
The need to foster equitable and effective commitments and investments in actions against AMR was one of the topics discussed during the event by representatives of the Wellcome Trust, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations, the Global Fund, GAVI, and the World Bank.
Since the first UN High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance in 2016, the world has paid considerable attention to this issue. The Political Declaration to be adopted at the 79th United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting is expected to guide the political agenda on AMR in the coming years.
