ASM Urges Action and Investment in AMR Ahead of UNGA Meeting
New York, N.Y.—°®¶¹´«Ã½ (ASM) will participate in °®¶¹´«Ã½ Nations General Assembly (UNGA) events this week, where global health leaders will address urgent challenges related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). ASM's Director of Global Public Health Programs, Wes Kim, will be a featured speaker at ASM’s partner event on Sept. 24 with bioMérieux, the Wellcome Trust and the governments of Malawi and France. ASM past president Colleen Kraft will represent ASM at the UNGA High-Level Meeting on AMR on Thursday, Sept. 26, alongside global stakeholders, where UN member states will vote on a series of recommendations developed over the past months to secure bold commitments to combat AMR.Ahead of the UNGA meetings, ASM sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, recommending key priorities for the U.S. Delegation to the UNGA. These recommendations include the need for robust investments in diagnostic services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and continued investment in programs that strengthen health systems and build resilient laboratory capacity.
ASM Global Public Health Programs has partnered with local and global entities in more than 20 countries to build sustainable programs for the surveillance, detection and management of infectious diseases, including those caused by antimicrobial resistant pathogens, with over 600 laboratories and 14,000 health care workers trained. Both antimicrobials and diagnostics development, deployment, stewardship and other measures to combat AMR are most successful within the context of a strong public health system, and laboratories are the backbone of those systems. Addressing AMR will require multilateral commitments to public health and laboratory systems strengthening. Funders must continue investing in global programs that strengthen health systems, build laboratory capacity and support global and regional laboratory networks.
"Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent global health challenges of our time. ASM is committed to working with world leaders to secure sustainable, multilateral commitments that will strengthen public health systems and ensure access to life-saving diagnostics and treatments,” said ASM CEO Stefano Bertuzzi.
At the UNGA High-Level meeting, ASM will urge delegates to address the gaps, challenges and opportunities to combat AMR in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the threat is greatest. ASM urges parties to collectively advocate for:
- Robust, sustainable financing for innovative research, development and deployment of rapid diagnostics and new antimicrobials for both veterinary and human use.
- Policies that incentivize strengthening supply chains and stewardship across sectors.
- Raising awareness of AMR morbidity and mortality and the need for a multifaceted approach to combatting AMR.
- Strengthening global prevention efforts including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and vaccination campaigns.
###
°®¶¹´«Ã½ is one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of over 32,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.
ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications, educational opportunities and advocacy efforts. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences.
°®¶¹´«Ã½ is one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of over 32,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.
ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications, educational opportunities and advocacy efforts. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences.
