How can we turn political declarations at the highest levels into tangible actions?

This is one of several crucial questions discussed at the UNGA side event, ‘Ensuring Sustainable Access to Effective Antibiotics – the Path from UNGA to Impact,’ held at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22nd. Other topics included Infection Prevention, Innovation, and Access.

The event featured a stellar lineup of speakers, such as the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of the Global Leaders Group on AMR; H.E. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier of Malta; H.E. Ambassador Francois Jackman of Barbados, co-facilitators of the Political Declaration on AMR, Dr. Hanan Balkhy, Dr. Jean Kaseya and leading AMR experts. The sessions were expertly moderated by Ramanan Laxminarayan, alongside Apoorva Mandavilli and Deepali Patel.

PM Mia Mottley opened the event with a fireside chat, stating, “We have a moral responsibility to develop new accessible antibiotics to save lives […] The world needs to pause and get things right.” 🌏

Such strong commitment from global leaders is absolutely vital to combating AMR—but is it enough…?

“I’m definitely an optimist, but when we think about this journey from commitment to implementation, I think there has to be a healthy dose of realism,” said Dr. Lesley Ogilvie (Hub Secretariat Director). She stressed the need for strong governance, sustainable financing, political will, and practical technical expertise on the ground to make meaningful progress.

The side event has provided a platform for exchanging ideas, fostering a sense of ‘realistic optimism,’ and helping shape the discussions leading into the High-Level Meeting on AMR (Sep 26).

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our co-hosts for this important event: One Health Trust, Africa CDC, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IFPMA, FIND, AMR Action Fund, ICARS, IDSA, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

For a full recording of the event, watch here: https://lnkd.in/dwX8YD8S