Towards the 2024 UNGA Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance: Antimicrobial Procurement Systems that Meet All Countries’ Needs

Antimicrobial resistance is a large—and growing—global health threat, causing more deaths each year than HIV/AIDS or malaria. Access to antimicrobials must be expanded, especially in low- and middle-income countries, which bear the brunt of the AMR burden. At the same time, antimicrobials must be protected from overuse and inappropriate use to ensure the drugs remain effective when needed. Replacements for drugs exhausted by high resistance levels come at a high cost, and market failures leave significant gaps in the current pipeline for innovation. Addressing the silent pandemic of AMR will require global coordination to overcome collective action problems and balance these interrelated objectives of antimicrobial access, stewardship, and innovation.

To this end, a working group convened by the Center for Global Development is discussing how new antibiotic procurement models may improve access and stewardship and how a range of actors, including governments, financing institutions, industry, health care providers, and patients, must be involved. The initiative aims to establish principles and commitments in the global antimicrobial market, including to protect the effectiveness of critical drugs and contribute to global antimicrobial research and development at a level commensurate to countries’ means. An improved global market will enable better and more sustainable access to essential antimicrobials.

On the sidelines of the 2023 World Health Assembly, join the Center for Global Development for a discussion on the urgent problem of AMR and the proposed grand bargain as a part of the global solution. A complimentary reception with drinks and canapes will follow the conversation.

We invite you to read a summary of the two key policy proposals to improve the global procurement systems for antimicrobials, which we’ll discuss during the event.