H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang, President of the 79th session of the General Assembly
H.E. Mr. Robert Rae, President of the Economic and Social Council
H.E. Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
Ms. Gabriella Balasa, AMR survivor
Excellencies, colleagues and friends.
First let me share my deep appreciation to Prime Minister Mia Mottley from Barbados for her tireless leadership, mastering of the substance and for always keeping laser focused on results.
The High-Level meeting of the United Nations Assembly dedicated to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an important milestone on the road to defusing a growing and deadly threat. And this meeting comes not a moment too soon.
I am sure you have all read the new research published last week by The Lancet. Almost 40 million deaths attributable to AMR and 160 million associated with AMR between 2025 and 2050 if no action is taken. And, from 2050, a continuing annual burden of over 10 million deaths either attributed to or associated with AMR. This is far worse than we thought. It is, quite frankly, horrific.
And, of course, the impacts of AMR on healthcare systems, productivity and agricultural production will cost trillions annually.
So, we must act. And we are acting.
Since the first high-level meeting in 2016, we have seen increased ambition, including through the Quadripartite partnership on One Health and the Global Leaders Group, chaired by Her Excellency Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. Crucially, work on AMR now combines human, animal, plant and environment sector actions under the One Health approach. This is the only way to go.
Now this high-level meeting presents an opportunity for leaders to speed up the adoption of effective prevention and management of AMR at national, regional and global levels. Safeguard animal health, food safety and food security. Protect the environment. And fortify economies.
Excellencies,
We cannot deliver these results without action on the environment, which plays a significant role in the origins, development, spread and transmission of AMR.
Prevention is key to stop antimicrobials and AMR leaking into the environment. From municipal waste and wastewater. From pharmaceutical production and hospitals. From farms and intensive crop production sprayed with antimicrobials.
As around 56 per cent of wastewater is released into the environment with little or no treatment, it is crucial to improve integrated water management, water sanitation and hygiene.
The pharmaceutical sector can strengthen inspection systems, change incentives and subsidies, and ensure adequate waste and wastewater containment and treatment.
The food and agriculture sector can take preventative actions to limit the use of antimicrobials and reduce discharges from crops, and terrestrial and aquatic animal production facilities.
The healthcare sector can improve access to high-quality water sources and sanitation, install hospital-specific wastewater treatment systems, and ensure the safe and sustainable use and disposal of antimicrobial medicines.
These actions, and more, must be backed at the highest level. With policies, laws and regulations to reduce effluent releases that risk AMR development and spread. With international standards. With realignment of subsidies and investments. With research. And – above all – with collaboration between sectors. Strengthening the One Health approach is particularly important.
UNEP will, of course, continue to marshal its science, innovation and commitment in support of such action.
Excellencies,
This High-Level Meeting is an opportunity to start turning the ambition we have in abundance into real change. The 4th Ministerial Conference on AMR, hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in November, will be another.
From today, we need reaffirmed commitment. Increased trust and understanding. New empowering mandates to work better together at global, regional and country levels.
We must join forces to protect nature and food security. Shield healthcare systems and economies. And save the tens of millions of lives that would otherwise be lost to the growing and insidious threat of AMR.
