Antimicrobial resistance
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THE WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, INC.
L’ASSOCIATION MEDICALE MONDIALE, INC
ASOCIACION MEDICA MUNDIAL, INC
Centre International de Bureaux FEIN : 13-2566243
Immeuble A “Keynes” Website : www.wma.net Postal Address :
13, chemin du Levant Telephone : (33) 4 50 40 75 75 Boîte Postale 63
01210 FERNEY-VOLTAIRE Fax : (33) 4 50 40 59 37 01210 FERNEY-VOLTAIRE Cedex
France E-mail address : wma@wma.net France
18 January 2021
WHO 148th
Executive Board session
Item 9 – Antimicrobial resistance
Honorable Chair, Distinguished delegates,
I am delivering this intervention on behalf of the World Medical Association representing 9 million
physicians worldwide.
We acknowledge the report of the Director General on Antimicrobial resistance and would like to
emphasize the following:
The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed several issues relevant to AMR:
Due to the challenge to find treatments for COVID-19 patients, antimicrobials were used as direct
treatment, even when evidence showed already that they do not offer any benefit.
Further antimicrobials were prescribed for possible co-infections, although evidence suggests that
bacterial and fungal co-infections are low. Both patterns increased prescribing rates and the use of
broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents.
Additional research highlighted a high transmission of multi-drug-resistant organism due to
hospitalised COVID-19 patients, and the disruption of health care caused by COVID-19 reduced
testing and surveillance of infections. The focus on COVID -19 shifted away funding for AMR.
It is crucial to continue and step up the political and financial commitments to AMR globally and
nationally now.
Furthermore, we would like to highlight the urgent need for a global coordinating mechanism to
streamline investments into the development of new antimicrobials, diagnostics and AMR products
with a focus on access.
Finally, we support the WHO leadership and its continuous commitment to the advancement of the
work of the tripartite secretariat.
Thank you,