As the world prepares for the 2024 High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance, anticipation is building around how global leaders will address one of the most critical health threats of our time. 

It’s estimated that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could result in 10 million deaths annually by 2050 — surpassing deaths from cancer — if effective interventions aren’t implemented soon.

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist the effects of medications, such as antibiotics, making infections harder to treat. With resistant infections on the rise and millions affected by lack of access to antibiotics, this escalating threat has the potential to be catastrophic for global health and economies, underscoring the need for urgent international action.

All eyes are now on the UNGA 2024’s High-Level Meeting on AMR, set to take place in New York City on September 26, 2024. The meeting presents a pivotal opportunity to reshape the global approach to AMR. Experts across sectors are sharing their hopes for stronger commitments, innovative solutions, and concrete actions that can drive meaningful change.

Here, we delve into their insights on what’s at stake and what needs to happen to tackle AMR effectively.

Prioritising access to antibiotics

Dr Manica Balasegaram, Executive Director of the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP)

Dr Manica Balasegaram, Executive Director of the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP), sees the HLM as a pivotal moment to reshape the global AMR agenda. 

“The hope with this High-Level Meeting is that it won’t just draw attention and much-needed funding towards this escalating global health crisis, but that it will also help to reset the global agenda, with access to antibiotics becoming the new AMR priority,” he tells ITN Business.

Dr Manica points out the dire need for strategic funding, especially through public-private partnership models like GARDP, which can ensure that access to new antibiotic treatments is a priority. “This is necessary to not only ensure people get the antibiotic treatments they need, but also new ones developed to replace those lost to resistance.”

With more people now dying from a lack of access to antibiotics than from drug-resistant infections, refocusing the AMR conversation around accessibility could be a life-saving shift.

Vaccines to prevent both bacterial and viral pathogens that can reduce the need for antibiotics offer hope for the future.  

AMR and the role of civil society

Ramanan Laxminarayan, from One Health Trust, tempers expectations by reminding us of the limitations inherent in large-scale political meetings. He notes that while the UNGA meeting is essential, it also represents “the lowest common denominator of what countries can agree on.” He stresses that “AMR is too important to be left to governments alone. Civil society, philanthropic organisations, and patient groups all have a stake in ensuring that antibiotics are used appropriately.”

Ramanan critiques the political declaration from the UNGA, which, aside from a target to reduce AMR deaths by 10%, lacks the specific and measurable targets that many experts have been advocating for. His comments reflect a broader sentiment that stronger accountability mechanisms are needed to make meaningful progress in the fight against AMR.

A call for political commitment and collaboration

Lesley Ogilvie from the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Development Hub (Global AMR R&D Hub) sees the HLM as an opportunity for world leaders to take substantial action. 

“The HLM on AMR is crucial. It puts AMR under a powerful spotlight, raising it as a top global health priority and pushes for high-level political action,” she says. For Lesley, the meeting is not just about convening world leaders but also fostering “multi-sectoral cooperation”—a key ingredient for effectively addressing AMR.

Lesley Ogilvie from the Global AMR R&D Hub.

Lesley stresses the importance of this cooperation being translated into “stronger commitments, clear targets, and increased funding for AMR interventions,” especially national action plans. 

She’s optimistic about the inclusion of an independent panel on evidence for action against AMR within the political declaration, calling it a “necessary and crucial step forward.” Such a panel would play an instrumental role in guiding government decision-making by making sense of the vast amounts of data on AMR, helping to prioritise actions.

Ramanan agrees. At the global level, policy changes are only global targets, accountability mechanisms to ensure that countries reach these targets, political will, and funding. “The UN is likely to fall short on most of these fronts,” he says, “but the independent panel that is envisaged may be able to take the fight forward.”

Moving forward with measurable targets

As these experts highlight, the 2024 HLM on AMR represents both a challenge and an opportunity. While the meeting promises to elevate the urgency of the AMR crisis and push for international cooperation, the real test will come in how effectively these high-level political commitments translate into long-term, actionable solutions.

The collective hope among experts is that the meeting will go beyond mere rhetoric, setting clear, measurable targets and providing the necessary funding to support innovations in antibiotic research and access. Equally important is ensuring that civil society and other non-governmental actors are involved in shaping and driving forward this global response.

The quest to discover new antibiotics has always been hampered by a lack of incentives for drug companies. How will this change?

Facts and stats on AMR

  • One person dies every 6 seconds due to AMR (GARDP).
  • AMR already causes more deaths than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined (The Lancet, 2022)
  • Currently, AMR is responsible for around 700,000 deaths per year globally. This number is expected to rise dramatically if no action is taken (World Health Organization, 2022).
  • AMR could cause a global economic loss of up to $100 trillion by 2050 if no measures are taken, with low- and middle-income countries being the hardest hit (World Bank, 2017).

 

NOW LIVE: Defending Our Health: Unravelling Antimicrobial Resistance

 

We’ve partnered with Antibiotic Research UK, the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC), and AMR Industry Alliance to provide editorial interviews and thought leadership in the programme. It alsos feature an exclusive interview with Professor Dame Sally Davies who is the UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance.

 

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