During the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Sept. 25, Alex Azar, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary, will call on world leaders to address the evolving threat of antibiotic resistance.
Failure to prepare for and reverse antibiotic resistance could lead to global catastrophe, as such resistance has now taken root across the world. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with DHHS, are creating a world-spanning initiative known as the AMR Challenge.
The AMR Challenge is a series of pledges in which governments and private industry can choose to commit greater resources to slow antibiotic resistance. These resources can include the development of new vaccines and drugs, improvements to the use of and access to current antibiotics, improved infection prevention and control, reducing antibiotic resistance in environmental factors, and communicating with other countries.
While the CDC and DHHS represent the governmental interests currently involved, other contributors include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CDC Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, the UN Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust.