Dear Participant of the High-Level Interactive Panel on Anti-microbial Resistance,

Given recent developments related to the global public health emergency (COVID-19), and guided by the risk assessments carried out by the UN Secretariat, we have decided not to go forward with the High-Level Panel, scheduled to be held on 14 April 2020 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

 Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. 

OVERVIEW

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) happens when microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites) change when they are exposed to antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics). Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as “superbugs”.

As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others.

New resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases, resulting in prolonged illness, disability, and death.

Without effective antimicrobials for prevention and treatment of infections, medical procedures such as organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy, diabetes management and major surgery (for example, caesarean sections or hip replacements) become very high risk.

AMR increases the cost of health care with lengthier stays in hospitals and more intensive care required.

Further, AMR challenges the effective delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Currently, at least 700,000 people die each year due to drug-resistant diseases. If no action is taken, drug-resistant diseases could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050 and damage to the economy as catastrophic as the 2008- 2009 global financial crisis; and by 2030, AMR could force up to 24 million people into extreme poverty (source: WHO and UN Ad Hoc Inter-Agency Coordination Group on AMR).

BACKGROUND

In September 2016, the UN General Assembly convened the first ever High-level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Member States adopted A/RES/71/3 “Political declaration of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on antimicrobial resistance”.

As mandated by the political declaration on AMR, the Secretary-General of the United Nations convened an Ad Hoc Interagency Coordination Group (IACG) on Antimicrobial Resistance. The IACG brought together partners across the UN, international organizations and individuals with expertise across human, animal and plant health, as well as the food, animal feed, trade, development and environment sectors, to formulate a blueprint for the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

In April 2019, the IACG on AMR delivered its final report to the UN Secretary-General, “No time to wait: securing the future from drug-resistant infections”. This included 14 recommendations that call for action to: accelerate progress in countries; innovate to secure the future; collaborate for more effective action; invest for a sustainable response; and strengthen accountability and global governance.

In May 2019, the UN Secretary-General issued his report, “Follow-up to the political declaration on the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on AMR”. This took stock of progress and critical challenges at national, regional, and global levels; and identified five critical shifts focused on urgency, a One Health approach, stakeholder engagement, implementation of national action plans (NAPs), and resource mobilisation.

In September 2019, the UN high-level meeting on universal health coverage (UHC) adopted a political declaration (A/RES/74/2) which included a paragraph specifically on AMR:

“Enhance cooperation at the national, regional and global levels to address antimicrobial resistance, using an integrated and systems-based one-health approach, including through health system strengthening, capacity-building, including for research and regulatory capacity, and technical support and ensure equitable access to affordable, safe, effective and quality existing and new antimicrobial medicines, vaccines and diagnostics as well as effective stewardship, as antimicrobial resistance poses a challenge to achieving universal health coverage, noting the work of the ad hoc inter-agency coordination group on antimicrobial resistance and its recommendations as contained in the report of the Secretary-General on antimicrobial resistance, and look forward to the discussion thereof during the seventy-fourth session of the General Assembly, taking into account World Health Assembly resolution 72.5 of 28 May 2019.”