United States challenges UN to fight antibiotic resistance

The United States announced during the United Nations General Assembly in New York Tuesday the AMR Challenge, the “most ambitious global initiative” for combating antibiotic resistance (AMR).

Led by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the AMR Challenge urges public and private institutions to unite on the critical issue and voluntarily reduce antibiotics and resistance found in the environment. The challenge also encourages participating entities to improve antibiotic use when needed, develop new medications and diagnostic tests, improve infection prevention and control, and enhance data sharing and collection throughout the world.

“Untreatable infections are the reality for too many families around the world—and in the U.S.” DHHS Secretary Alex Azar said. “We’ve had some success fighting antibiotic resistance but, if we don’t all act fast together, we will see global progress quickly unravel. Antibiotic resistance isn’t slowing down. Every country and industry has to step up.”

No corner of the world has gone untouched by antibiotic resistance. In the United States alone, the CDC reports that at least 2 million people suffer from resistant infections each year – 23,000 of which die.

“We are seeing resistance to life-saving antibiotics, and scientists worldwide are uncovering new types of resistance,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said. “Our shared commitment to confront this threat is critical to all American communities and companies, protecting our progress in healthcare outcomes, food production, and even life expectancy.”

As of Sept. 24, 2018, 106 organizations have made 99 commitments to the AMR Challenge.