The Global Leaders Group (GLG) on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) held its sixth (and first in-person) meeting in Barbados on February 7 and 8, hosted by the GLG Chair, Her Excellency Mia Amor Motley, Prime Minister of Barbados, at Sandals Royal Barbados, Bridgetown.
At the meeting, the GLG welcomed the appointment of its new Vice Chair, His Excellency Dr Chris Fearne, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health of Malta, and five new members, as well as the senior officials of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the United Nations Environment Programme (known as the Quadripartite).
At the meeting, the leaders discussed major challenges in the response to AMR and GLG priorities for the next two years, including the need for more sustainable financing, the role of the private sector, environmental dimensions of AMR, strengthening surveillance across sectors, and research and development. The GLG also discussed maintaining urgency, public support, political momentum and visibility of AMR challenges on the global development agenda.
A key focus of the meeting was to begin GLG planning for the second United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on AMR, scheduled for April 2024, at which the GLG will press for bold and specific commitments from member states to tackle the growing threats of antimicrobial resistance.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) officially launched the report, ‘Bracing for Superbugs: strengthening environmental action in the One Health response to antimicrobial resistance at a press conference along the sidelines of the sixth meeting of the GLG. The report provides evidence that the environment plays a key role in the development, transmission and spread of AMR.
The GLG is comprised of 21 members including political leaders and experts from the human, animal and plant health and environmental sectors and promotes a multisectoral response to AMR based on a One Health approach.
Contact: Global Leaders Group secretariat, glg-comms@who.int
Related: Launch of report on antimicrobial resistance
