WMA _12.2 AMR_final

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
22 May 2017

70th Session of the World Health Assembly
Agenda Item: 12.2 Antimicrobial Resistance

Honorable Chairperson, Distinguished Delegates,

Thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the WMA, representing more than 9 million
physicians from more than 100 countries.
We would like to acknowledge WHO leadership over the past year and appreciate that AMR is
now a global and political matter, extending far beyond the health sector. Though we express our
concern that the Declaration of the UN High-Level Meeting on AMR lack specific targets.
We remain concerned about the slow progress with regards to national regulations pertaining to
dispensing antibiotics without prescription which remains rampant in various regions as well as
the use of antibiotics for non-medical purposes. We urge member states to address over the
counter antibiotic dispensing nationally with the utmost urgency.

Research has repeatedly shown that medical students, physicians and other healthcare
professionals feel that the education and knowledge received about antibiotic use as well as
antimicrobial resistance is sometimes insufficient and does not prepare appropriately for practice.
Learning modules specific to appropriate antibiotic use as well as infection prevention and
antimicrobial resistance should be provided during both pre-service but also continuing education
as the field continues to evolve very rapidly. We would like to call upon member states and the
WHO to fund and support independent basic and continuing education in AMR through academia
and health professionals’ organizations.

The WMA welcomes the increased funding towards research and development for new antibiotics
and diagnostics, but would like to remind, that investing in human resources and education is of
essence to preserve existing antibiotics, prevent multidrug resistant infections and ensure
appropriate prescribing.

The WMA continues its commitment to educating physicians on AMR through various courses and
our interprofessional ONE HEALTH approach. We remain ready to assist and participate in the
development and dissemination of AMR teaching modules to physicians and other healthcare
professionals.

Thank you for your kind attention.

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