UN political declaration focuses on efforts to counter antimicrobial resistance
Published
On 26 September, a High-level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was held during the United Nations General Assembly. The Meeting is the second of its type, with the first having been held in 2016. The meeting included the ceremonial adoption of a political declaration on global and national undertakings in efforts to counter AMR. Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson headed Sweden’s participation in the Meeting.
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The High-level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the second of its type. The first took place in 2016.
Photo: Martin Premmert/Government offices of Sweden
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Sweden’s AMR Ambassador Malin Grape takes part in both the High-level Meeting on ARM and a number of different panels and seminars on the topic.
Photo: Anette Hulth/Government offices of Sweden
“A global problem must be addressed at global level, because AMR does not respect national borders. Sweden welcomes that the world’s countries have agreed on a collective approach. That being said, the declaration is not the end of our work, but rather the beginning of a greater global and national responsibility to safeguard access to antibiotics for all,” says Ms Ankarberg Johansson.
AMR and antibiotic resistance are a major and growing threat to people’s and animals’ health, and our food production. Access to effective antibiotics is a prerequisite for providing modern medical care and saving lives. Efforts to combat AMR have been one of the Government’s priorities for many years. Sweden is a global leader in efforts to counter antibiotic resistance through measures such as responsible use of antibiotics on people and animals, monitoring of prescriptions and resistance, infection prevention and control, and good animal husbandry practices.
Political declaration advances global efforts
The political declaration contains almost 50 undertakings towards combating AMR. This includes global goals, such as reducing the global number of deaths associated with AMR by 19 per cent by 2030. The declaration also includes undertakings by the member countries to set and follow up on national goals. The declaration includes a clear focus on both access to antibiotics and preventive measures such as vaccination, infection prevention and control, and access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
Sweden was one of the most active EU countries during negotiations on the declaration, and many of Sweden’s priority issues have in some way been incorporated into the political declaration.
Sweden’s AMR Ambassador Malin Grape also took part in the Meeting.
“The next High-level Meeting will take place in five years–2029. The most important thing we can do, apart from implementing the undertakings in the declaration, is to continue to raise awareness about the problem, broaden the issue from an infection problem to a patient safety issue, expand the perspective from a health problem to a long-term socioeconomic problem, where several actors need to contribute more actively,” says Ms Grape.
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