WHO Director-General's remarks at the 4th Ministerial Conference on AMR – 15 November 2024

Honourable Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel,

Honourable Vice Minister Mansour Hilal Al Mushaiti,

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Khaled Abdelghaffar,

My Quadripartite colleagues,

Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, distinguished guests, dear colleagues and friends,

Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

I thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its leadership on AMR, and for hosting this important ministerial conference, which builds on the outcome of the High-Level Meeting at this year's UN General Assembly.

Just two days ago I was in Baku for COP29, where I said on several occasions that the health impacts of climate change are not a theoretical risk for the future; they are right here, and right now.

The same is true of antimicrobial resistance.

AMR doesn't just threaten to make the medicines on which we depend less effective; it's happening now.

We're not just talking about the risk of people dying from antibiotic-resistant infections; they're dying now - 1.3 million people every year.

AMR action is equally as urgent as climate action.

The political declaration agreed at the General Assembly set clear targets for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and financing which should ultimately reduce deaths from bacterial AMR by 10 percent by 2030.

Even where specific targets were not set, such as reducing antimicrobial use in the agrifood and animal health sector, the declaration provides a solid framework for action to pursue a meaningful reduction in antimicrobial use across all sectors.

Our task now is to translate the declaration into concrete action in countries - meaning from declaration to implementation.

This meeting focuses on key issues including governance, surveillance and stewardship, access and affordability, and capacity building.

Let me highlight three priorities for implementing the Political Declaration, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

First, we must increase sustainable financing, from both domestic and international sources.

I urge Member States and development partners to join the AMR Multi-Partner Trust Fund, as called for in the Declaration.

Financial resources are needed to achieve the target of 60% of countries with funded national action plans.

The modest target in the Political Declaration of US$100 million is a good start, and I invite our development partners to fulfil this commitment in coming months. This is the foundation of national AMR responses that can catalyze more domestic financing.

Second, we must increase equitable access to quality antimicrobials, while ensuring appropriate use.

The irony of AMR is that it's driven by the inappropriate use of antimicrobials, and yet a large number of people also die because they can't access these medicines at all.

Addressing AMR therefore means increasing access for those who need them, while preventing the overuse and misuse that drives antimicrobial resistance.

And third, we must increase research, development, and innovation to address the dry antimicrobial pipeline.

That includes efforts to improve access to new and existing antimicrobials, including through efforts such as SECURE, a global initiative being led by WHO and GARD-P, the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership.

My thanks again to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its leadership and hospitality this week, and for its proposal for an AMR Learning Hub and a Logistics Hub, to strengthen implementation in low- and middle-income countries.

I look forward to the adoption of the Jeddah Commitments and to WHO's role, alongside our Quadripartite partners, in supporting their implementation. Full support from WHO's side.

As I said, the threat of AMR is right here and right now, but so are the solutions.

Together, let us seize this opportunity to accelerate action on AMR, commit to stronger collaboration, and protect the medicines that protect us.

Finally, I would like to thank the Prime Minister of Barbados, Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who was very much committed and planning to come here but couldn't join us, but I would like to recognize her leadership of the GLG, and moving it forward.

So I would appreciate it if you would give Prime Minister Mottley a round of applause. Incredible commitment from a Head of State. She's not here, but her spirit is with us.

Shukran jazeelan, and thank you.

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