2016-10-26
15 July 2016
Today some of the world’s foremost experts on antibiotic resistance, including ReAct´s founder and senior adviser Otto Cars, called on the United Nations General Assembly to decisively act to reduce the growing number of deaths due to limited access to effective antibiotics.
Call for a UN High Level Coordinating mechanism (HLCM)
The international experts call for a UN High Level Coordinating mechanism (HLCM) including, beyond WHO, FAO and OIE, the participation of UNICEF, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, the World Bank, and other multilateral agencies.
The article authors propose four core functions of the HLCM:
- Launch a global advocacy campaign to raise awareness about the lack of access to antibiotics and drug resistance.
- Monitor and evaluate defined, enforceable targets to reduce the number of deaths globally due to lack of access and inappropriate use of antimicrobials in humans as well as animals.
- Mobilize resources from donors, aid agencies and countries to effectively finance the effort.
- Support and coordinate multisectoral action to implement the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance alongside national efforts to improve access to effective antimicrobials:
-The UN meeting in September offers a rare opportunity to change how the global community responds to this health crisis that will become exponentially more deadly in all countries without any sustainable, coordinated action, says Professor Otto Cars.
Read article in The Lancet.