Just like our carbon footprint monitors the global environmental impact of harmful greenhouse gases, we also need to track our antibiotic footprint to contain and reduce the effects of drug resistance.
‘The World Together Solving the Antibiotic Emergency’
In May, the ‘World Together Solving the Antibiotic Emergency' conference took place at the Royal Society, hosted by the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care.
Celebrating the successes of global action to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the event looked ahead to the important milestone of the United Nations high-level meeting on AMR on AMR in September.
Hosted by UK Special Envoy on AMR Prof Dame Sally Davies, with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Ministers of Health and AMR experts in attendance, the global event agreed priority actions on the growing drug-resistance threat. It’s estimated that the failure to take sufficient action against AMR and treating resistant infections is comparable to the cost of a COVID pandemic recurring every five years. The UK government announced a further £85m to support new international initiatives.
Hosted by UK Special Envoy on AMR Prof Dame Sally Davies, with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Ministers of Health and AMR experts in attendance, the global event agreed priority actions on the growing drug-resistance threat. It’s estimated that the failure to take sufficient action against AMR and treating resistant infections is comparable to the cost of a COVID pandemic recurring every five years. The UK government announced a further £85m to support new international initiatives.
At the event, attendees heard first-hand accounts from survivors and advocates about the personal toll of AMR, conveying the urgent need for action and the importance of building resilient healthcare systems.
The conference aimed to inspire action and collaboration, and underscore the significance of the antibiotic emergency to global leaders from all sectors to ensure that antibiotics are safeguarded for all, for life. Dame Sally Davies, said: “The global antibiotic emergency is an existential threat to communities everywhere.
“[…] This event represents a pivotal milestone for the world to move forward together and play a part in safeguarding our antibiotics for generations to come […] join us to make equity, One Health, and action the cornerstone of our next steps to tackle AMR.”
The event featured impact case study films highlighting the Fleming Fund grants programme on strengthening AMR surveillance in Africa and Asia:
- Building Africa’s New Public Health Order – leading the charge.
- Demystifying AMR in Kenya: the real-life impact.
- Strengthening AMR diagnosis and surveillance in Timor Leste.
- A global call to action: Insights from CwPAMS programme on tackling AMR.
Images show: ‘World Together Solving the Antibiotic Emergency’ conference at the Royal Society, London, UK. Credit: Ian Jones Photography.
Images show: ‘World Together Solving the Antibiotic Emergency’ conference at the Royal Society, London, UK. Credit: Ian Jones Photography.
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Studies & Reports
From Studies & Reports, Case Study: Pakistan’s first ‘antibiotic footprint’ analysis , Date: 09/08/2024
As a Veterinary Investigations Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture in Zimbabwe, Kudzaishe Vhoko-Tapesana joined the Fleming Fund fellowship scheme in May 2021. Hosted by the [London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)](https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/), Kudzaishe’s fellowship advances her professional development while supporting country efforts to improve surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animal health.