2018-10-01
Geneva, 1 October 2018
By: Andreas Sandgren, ReAct – Action on Antibiotic Resistance, on behalf of Stichting Health Action International
14:00-15:00 The discussion on the draft framework Chapter 3-5 focuses on Research and Development to foster access, Access and stewardship policies, Environmental aspects of antimicrobial resistance.
Chair, on behalf of Health Action International, ReAct – Action on Antibiotic Resistance is grateful for the opportunity to take the floor again.
- We welcome that the principles for R&D adopted by member States in the UN Political Declaration on AMR from 2016 are at the core of this framework – namely that R&D should be “needs driven, evidence-based and guided by the principles of affordability, effectiveness and efficiency and equity” and that “delinking the cost of investment in R&D from the price and volume of sales”.
- It continues to be a concern that these principles are not automatically taken as the starting point when new R&D mechanisms are created – such as the G20 Innovation hub. Likewise, it was a big disappointment to see that Member States did not mirror the AMR language in the TB Political Declaration that was adopted last week. This lack of policy coherence delays the development of the new innovation models that are urgently needed.
- We agree that there is a critical need for applied and interventional research, both on the human and animal side. But it would be good to further emphasize the need to include research on innovation of practice across healthcare delivery and food production sectors, as well as the environment.
- We support the holistic systems approach taken in the framework incl. the broad interpretation of stewardship which extends to vaccines and diagnostics as well as improved IPC, WASH, waste water treatment and good animal husbandry practices. This approach should also be used to guide financial support for LMICs. Overall the tripartite prioritization of financing should be guided where the needs are the greatest.
- Finally, the point on universal health care providing the best enabling framework for addressing AMR in human health is crucial – sustainable access to effective antibiotics is an essential component of any health system! It is important that this link is made clear when governments convene next year for the UNHLM on UHC.
Contact: andreas.sandgren@medsci.uu.se