In 2016, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) gained significant political attention, culminating in a UN high-level meeting where member states committed to a coordinated effort to tackle AMR across human health, animal health, agriculture, and environmental health. However, eight years later, progress has been limited. Although 178 countries have developed national action plans, fewer than 20% are funded or implemented. To accelerate efforts, the UN is hosting another high-level meeting in September, aiming to spur global, regional, and national actions against AMR. This meeting seeks to make meaningful progress on this critical health threat of the 21st century.
A new Series on AMR offers key evidence on interventions and investments necessary for sustainable access to effective antibiotics and outlines strategies to accelerate progress. It also proposes achievable global targets for humans and animals by 2030. The Series emphasizes that the core issue is the high burden of bacterial infections and posits that AMR is a symptom of broader global health inequities, which cannot be resolved by focusing solely on high-income countries.
The upcoming UN meeting and the insights from the Lancet Series aim to drive significant advancements in combating AMR by addressing these fundamental issues and promoting equitable global health strategies.1
Read the full editorial here.
References
- Editorial. (2024). Antimicrobial resistance: an agenda for all. In The Lancet. https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2824%2901076-6
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