HomePractical info & communicationsNewsMajor statements on the antimicrobial resistance “silent pandemic” at the G7, by the Health and Finance ministers

Major statements on the antimicrobial resistance “silent pandemic” at the G7, by the Health and Finance ministers

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Source : article published on the AMR.Solutions website on June 5, 2021.

The G7 met in Oxford this past week. On that occasion, communiques were released from by both the Health and Finance Ministers:

In the general communique, Points 24-31 are about AMR. Points 32-33 then link to the statement on trial collaboration. The communique, detailing the G7 Health Ministers pledges on AMR, covers the following topics:

  • #24: AMR is important: We need infection and prevention measures to be used.
  • #25: We appreciate the Global AMR R&D HubGARDPBARDACARB-XNovo REPAIRIMI, and the AMR Action Fund
  • #26: We need incentives to secure new antibiotics and their supply chains:
    • “we will seek to overcome the economic barriers to an endurable supply of antimicrobial products and to ensure sustainable innovation in antimicrobial R&D
    • “… whilst encouraging appropriate provisions for stewardship, diversity and security of supply chains, environmental protection in manufacturing and disposal, and global access.
    • To achieve this, we will bring together health and finance officials…”
  • #27: We recognize the value antibiotics bring to healthcare systems and society. As a result, “We will develop a set of shared valuation principles, based on public health needs and taking into account the WHO priority pathogen list…”
  • #28: We acknowledge the pressure on supply chains and that this may make it difficult to access to older antibiotics
  • #29: We recognize the need to strengthen supply chain resilience
  • #30: Environmental release of antibiotics is a problem that must be addressed
  • #31: We will work on acceptable environmental standards for manufacturing
  • #32 and #33: These point to the communique on trial collaboration: In short, coordination is need at multiple levels to ensure that trials are efficient and deliver useful information.

The Finance Ministers have also released a communique and in Para. 20 they tackle the need to address AMR as well as pandemic preparedness. Here’s the full text with bullets added for clarity:

  • “It is vital to continue learning lessons from Covid-19 and ensure we are better prepared for future pandemics.
  • “We look forward to the Pandemic Preparedness Partnership’s Report to G7 Leaders and the G20 High Level Independent Panel’s findings, and will consider their recommendations, particularly on financing mechanisms.
  • “Recognising the urgent need to avoid a repeat of the Covid-19 crisis, we commit to work together, and with relevant international partners, to improve international coordination and accountability between global health and finance policy makers.
  • “We will work together with our health colleagues in the second half of this year, including with industry, to explore proposals for strengthening market incentives for antibiotic drug development to help tackle antimicrobial resistance – the “silent pandemic”.
  • “We must act now to secure the health and economic prosperity of our citizens and that of future generations.

 These communiques can be read as a strong endorsement to confront the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance at a senior political level, resulting in meaningful and concrete actions.