GARDP and DNDi publish policy brief at 74th WHA

GARDP together with DNDi published a policy briefing statement at the 74^th World Health Assembly.

According to the statement, the lessons from the COVID-19 crisis should encourage investment and international cooperation to prepare for future health crisis and address the current impacts of the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. The urgency of the matter was underpinned, as, if no action is taken, humanity will be unable to treat common infections like pneumonia, newborn infections or secondary bacterial infections in COVID-19 and other viral pandemics. Unlike for the current pandemic, the authors state that the world can take action and be prepared now. The drug-resistant microbes are known, and meaningful change can be achieved.

That being said, the current response is off course: WHO’s latest pipeline review reveals that the 43 antibiotics currently in clinical development are insufficient to address drug resistance. Many countries lack access to existing antibacterial treatments.

Read the full briefing doc here: https://gardp.org/uploads/2021/05/GARDP-policy-brief-for-the-74th-World-Health-Assembly.pdf