Uppsala Dialogue meeting: Experts from more than 20 countries gathered for collaborative actions on ABR
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2023-05-25
On 9–10th of May, ReAct in collaboration with Uppsala University hosted a well-attended dialogue meeting with the title “The Global Need for Effective Antibiotics - Unlocking Barriers for Collective Action”. Within the framework of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the meeting gathered experts from more than 20 countries including representatives from Asia, Africa, and Latin America to discuss concrete ways to achieve stronger global actions on antibiotic resistance.
Questions from the participants during the last session of the 2-day long workshop at Uppsala University in Sweden. Photo: Therese Holm, ReAct.
The meeting was devised to address concerns with the far-reaching consequences of antibiotic resistance for the development of societies. In the absence of quick fixes, antibiotic resistance could seriously jeopardize the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
All levels in society need to contribute
Day 1 moderator Stefan Peterson Swartling demonstrated how antibiotics have played a crucial role in his life cycle, from newborn until today and for the future. Photo: Therese Holm, ReAct Europe
All levels in society need to contribute to a change and jointly secure the effectiveness of antibiotics while addressing antibiotic resistance as a systems failure. This requires urgent attention on the national and global levels.
Kerstin Åkerfeldt, ReAct Europe
Kerstin Åkerfeldt, Policy Expert, ReAct Europe says:
Recognizing antibiotic resistance as a whole-of-society issue creates opportunities to find more comprehensive long-term solutions. One critical forthcoming opportunity for collective action, acknowledged in the preparations of the dialogue meeting, is the UN High-level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance planned for the fall 2024.
Wide group of international stakeholders contributed
Participants from more than 20 countries gathered for collective actions on antibiotic resistance. Click photo to enlarge. Photo: Therese Holm, ReAct
The dialogue meeting was organized as a timely and unique gathering of a wide group of stakeholders including representatives from international and inter-governmental organisations, civil society, academia, national experts and other key actors relevant for collective action on antibiotic resistance.
The meeting aimed to generate suggestions for collective action, strengthened leadership, ownership and accountability on antibiotic resistance, as a global development challenge and with a focus on human health aspects. Crucially, the dialogue highlighted bottom-up perspectives responding to realities in low-and middle-income countries ensured fair representation and voices from civil society, academia, and communities.
Jakob Forssmed, Swedish Minister for Public Health and Social Affairs opened up day 2. Photo: Therese Holm, ReAct Europe.
Haileyyesus Getahun, Director of AMR Global Coordination WHO and the Quadripartite and Malin Grape, AMR Ambassador of Sweden discussing. Photo: Therese Holm, ReAct Europe
Discussions were ongoing, here Dame Sally Davis, UK Special Envoy on AMR and Benjamin Park, Senior Specialist, Global Fund. Photo: Therese Holm, ReAct Europe
Martha Gyansa-Lutter and Otto Cars. Together they have many decades of engagement to keep antibiotics effective. Photo: ReAct
Examined approaches to collective actions
Tapiwa Kujinga, Director PATAM and Sabiha Essack, South African Research Chair in ABR. Photo: Therese Holm, React.
The meeting examined various approaches to collective actions with a focus on four main themes: national perspectives on governance, global governance, the role of civil society and the financing of the AMR response. Participants also explored how stronger and more compelling narratives can be developed to reframe antibiotic resistance as a whole-of-society challenge and to more effectively mobilize collective action.
Anand Balachandran, Unit Head, WHO, AMR Division and Nafis Faizi, People’s Health Movement. Photo: Therese Holm, ReAct
The meeting provided a forum for open and productive discussions, and helped generate concrete suggestions for key steps, components and targets that should contribute to building a roadmap towards the UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2024.
Few key areas discussed
Among others, a few high-level takeaways the participants saw an urgent need for:
A stronger narrative leading up to the UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance
A common vision and aspirational target/s
For world leaders to step up and make bolder commitments in the 2024 declaration, including on:
Robust and sustainable financing for both global and national actions on antimicrobial resistance
Strengthened global and national governance mechanism for higher political buy-in and sustainability
Invest in civil society mobilization and meaningful engagement at local to global level and representation in governance structures
Accountability mechanism and monitoring framework to follow through country commitments and the responsibilities of relevant actors
A full report of the meeting and its key takeaways for consideration ahead of the UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2024 will be published on ReAct’s website.
During the meeting days students from Beckman’s College of Design exhibited their interpretations of antibiotic resistance. Photo: Annica Alvén, Uppsala University
In connection with the meeting, parts of an art exhibition on the theme of antibiotic resistance were displayed in the University Main Building. The exhibition, entitled “Are We There Yet?”, is a collaboration between students in Visual Communication at Beckmans College of Design, researchers at the Beijer Institute and Svenskt Tenn.
