Later this month, as world leaders assemble at the 74th United Nations General Assembly in New York City, the US HHS Secretary, Alex Azar, will host experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, global leaders and representatives from hundreds of organizations to celebrate the culmination of the AMR Challenge.
The AMR Challenge
The Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Challenge is a one-year effort to encourage governments, private companies and non-governmental organizations around the world to make formal commitments that further the progress against antimicrobial resistance. The Challenge encourages organizations to make their commitments with the recognition that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment, something they call a One Health approach. Although the commitments were made between September 2018 and August 2019, the outcomes from these commitments are expected to accelerate the fight against antimicrobial resistance for years to come.
Hundreds of organizations and governments have registered
Image Source: CDC The AMR Challenge Website
Hundreds of organizations and governments have registered commitments to the challenge. For example, McDonald’s Corporation (Illinois, USA) commits to partnering with suppliers and producers on the responsible use of antibiotics in food animals in its supply chain, including a policy for chicken in the U.S. and markets around the world, and a newly launched antibiotic use policy for beef. WaterAid (United Kingdom) commits to reducing antibiotic resistance by improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in health facilities and communities in 28 low- and middle-income countries. The government of Japan commits to contribute to the establishment of an antimicrobial resistance surveillance system in Asian countries where the status of AMR has not been systematically investigated. A summary of all of the commitments can be found here.
art to explore our relationship to infectious diseases
I will be attending the event on behalf of The Infection Prevention Strategy and I am excited to meet up with our friend, Anna Dumitriu, whose work will be featured at the event. Anna is a British BioArtist who uses art to explore our relationship to infectious diseases, synthetic biology and technology. We profiled Anna and some of her work here and here. The “MRSA Quilt” and “Make Do Mend” exhibits each feature textiles that have been stained with bacteria (MRSA and E.coli, respectively). I would encourage you to take a closer look at Anna’s projects on her website.
Film Credits: Anna Dumitriu, Artist Alex May, Film-maker
raising awareness of the threat of antimicrobial resistance
The commitments made during the AMR Challenge comprise an exciting first step in raising awareness of the threat of antimicrobial resistance and in working towards global, comprehensive solutions to that threat. Here at The Infection Prevention Strategy, we will be reviewing the commitments made and following up with the participating groups and organizations to promote successes, identify challenges and communicate the progress and next steps in the battle against AMR.
Stay tuned.
