World Leaders Implored to Make Bold Commitments to...

World Leaders Implored to Make Bold Commitments to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

Audrey Galawu

Assistant Editor

As global health and food security hang in the balance, world leaders are preparing to meet at the 79th United Nations High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance on September 26, 2024. This critical summit marks only the second time the UN has organised a high-level meeting specifically focused on AMR, with the first in 2016 setting the stage for the global response to one of the most pressing public health threats of our time.

The theme of this year’s meeting, “Investing in the Present and Securing our Future Together: Accelerating Multisectoral Global, Regional, and National Actions to Address Antimicrobial Resistance,” underscores the urgent need for decisive action across all sectors to prevent AMR from becoming an even more devastating crisis.

Acting Director of WHO’s Global Coordination and Partnership Department and Director of the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR, Dr Jean Pierre Nyemazi said Antimicrobial resistance is currently one of the greatest global threats.

"It results in millions of deaths, long-lasting disabilities, and soaring healthcare costs, threatening food security and causing economic devastation."

In Zimbabwe in 2019, there were 3,900 deaths attributable to AMR and 15,800 deaths associated with AMR. Zimbabwe was among the highest 10 countries in age-standardised mortality rate per 100,000 population associated with AMR across 204 countries.

Globally in 2019 alone, AMR was associated with 4.95 million deaths globally, with 1.27 million directly attributed to drug-resistant bacterial infections. Without a more robust global response, life expectancy could drop by an average of 1.8 years by 2035.

Additionally, by 2050, AMR could lead to healthcare costs exceeding US$1 trillion annually, while gross domestic product losses could reach US$3.4 trillion per year.

AMR is primarily driven by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials—medicines such as antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and anti-parasitics, in human, animal, and plant health. But the problem is further exacerbated by poor infection control, insufficient sanitation, and the inappropriate disposal of waste, particularly pharmaceutical waste.

“Rising levels of AMR will hinder progress toward many of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially those focused on health, poverty reduction, food security, and environmental protection,” Dr Nyemazi added.

Senior Animal Health officer at FAO, Dr Junxia Dong noted that one of the areas hardest hit by AMR is food production, where the misuse of antimicrobials in livestock, aquaculture, and crop farming accelerates the spread of resistant microbes. These strains can easily pass from animals to humans through direct contact or the food chain, compounding the crisis.

Dr Song called for stronger promotion of responsible antimicrobial use in agriculture, as well as better practices at the farm level to reduce reliance on these critical medicines.

"AMR is raising costs for farmers and driving up food prices. Livestock production in low-income countries could decline by 11% by 2050, and food security will be increasingly at risk."

“We need firm commitments from the heads of state to accelerate the implementation of AMR action plans.

“There is no time to waste. We must act together to preserve the effectiveness of these global public goods and ensure a safe planet for our children,” Dr Nyemazi concluded.