Anupriya Singh Patel addresses 4th high-level ministerial conference on AMR in Saudi Arabia

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Singh Patel addressed the 4th Ministerial High-level Global Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The theme of the conference was ‘From Declaration to Implementation – Accelerating Actions Through Multisectoral Partnerships for the Containment of AMR’.

Speaking on the occasion, Patel said, “Antimicrobial Resistance is a global health threat requiring urgent action through ‘One Health’ approach that fosters cooperation across human, animal, and plant health, as well as environmental and other relevant sectors.”

Outlining a set of practical steps to implement the commitments made in the declaration on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), Patel emphasised the importance of strengthening surveillance, fostering collaboration, and addressing critical barriers to antimicrobial access. She said, “India proposes a comprehensive approach aimed at improving AMR detection and surveillance capacities across sectors, enabling the use of data to guide evidence-based antimicrobial usage at both local and national levels. This would lay the foundation for the creation of integrated and interoperable surveillance systems across sectors.”

India’s proposals include prioritising sustainable financing and research investments to enhance governance in the fight against AMR, as well as establishing clear accountability frameworks for effective governance. India also supports the creation of the AMR Multi-partner Trust Fund and the establishment of an Independent Panel on Evidence for Action against AMR by the quadripartite organisations in 2025.

Patel called for increased support to member states in strengthening sectoral and multisectoral collaboration and coordination, particularly through the quadripartite joint secretariat. “India also stresses the importance of addressing barriers to the access and affordability of antimicrobials, diagnostics, and vaccines in developing nations, especially in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). One key solution proposed is the establishment of local or regional manufacturing hubs and the strengthening of regulatory mechanisms to ensure equitable access”, she said.

Patel highlighted the need for capacity building in statistical modelling to calculate baseline rates of AMR-related deaths, helping member states track progress towards the global target of reducing AMR-related deaths by 10 per cent as committed in the UNGA Political Declaration.

She also emphasised that the factors contributing to AMR vary across countries and regions, and therefore, actions must be tailored to the local context to effectively address the challenge. “India remains committed to supporting global efforts in combating AMR while ensuring that solutions are context-specific and sustainable”, she stated.

The ‘Jedda Commitments’ issued at the 4th High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR resolved to translate the Political Declaration from the UNGA HLM on AMR into practical commitments for urgent action inter alia committing to create national AMR multi-sectoral coordinating bodies respecting the multipronged One-Health challenges. The coordinating bodies, in the form of National AMR Committees, shall include representatives of all relevant government departments, agencies, appropriate legislative bodies, the private sector and civil society, to fully implement and ensure the funding and monitoring of National Action Plans (NAPs), and to gather accurate data, by harnessing Al advancements within countries, as applicable, and report regularly into global surveillance. The AMR multisectoral coordinating bodies will help to translate evidence into effective cross-departmental and sectorial policy formulations within Member States.