ESCMID
Aeschenvorstadt 55
4051 Basel
Switzerland
+41 61 508 01 73
www.escmid.org
Folketingets Sundhedsudvalg
Copenhagen June 8, 2024
To Folketingets Sundhedsudvalg
I write to you as medical doctor, specialist in Clinical Microbiology and member of the European Society of Clinical
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) to share information on the devastating effects of antimicrobial
resistance (AMR), the consequences of which I am confronted with on a daily basis.
AMR is not merely a theoretical concern; it is a tangible and pressing reality that demands much more urgent
global attention. Each year, millions of lives are jeopardized due to infections that no longer respond to com-
monly available antimicrobial treatments. AMR is now the direct cause of 1.3 million deaths annually, with one
in five of these occurring in children under the age of five, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. Left
unchecked, AMR will reverse decades of progress in modern medicine, making routine medical procedures such
as surgeries, chemotherapy, and organ transplants increasingly perilous. A recent report from the Global Leaders
Group on AMR estimates that without greater action, the cost of treating resistant bacterial infections alone will
reach US$ 412 billion annually up to 2035, and increased morbidity and mortality from these infections will lead
to lower workforce participation and productivity losses of US$ 443 billion per year.
AMR is on the agenda at this year’s United Nations General Assembly.
We scientists at ESCMID
urge you to
mobilize political attention at the highest level possible by helping to ensure the participation of the most
senior representatives of your government at the High-Level Meeting on AMR on September 26 in New York,
and work together with your New York mission for a
strong resolution with ambitious commitments and con-
crete actions on AMR.
These actions must include:
-
Prevention
-
Equitable access and innovation
-
Stronger global governance of the AMR response with technical input from the much needed Independ-
ent Panel on Evidence for Action against AMR, similar to other panels on climate change, pollution and
biodiversity, to advise Governments on future evidence-based targets
-
Support countries to access funding from Development Banks to fund priority areas of their NAPs
Addressing AMR requires a cross-sectorial approach, encompassing actions in human and animal health and en-
vironmental stewardship in every country. The global north, including Europe, needs to support poorer countries
to combat AMR by ensuring equitable access to essential resources, knowledge, and technologies to confront
this shared threat and safeguard public health globally.
The development of new antibiotics is key for securing continued effective treatment options, but the present
market and public health failure has shown the requirement for both push and pull incentives, with pull incen-
tives ideally implemented as subscription models. However, the responsibility for this cannot be left to the phar-
maceutical industry alone, as market forces have been unable to address the public health need for new and
existing antibiotics. Public investment and collaboration between academia, non-profits, the public sector and
industry are essential to incentivize research for novel antimicrobial agents and ensure their availability for cur-
rent and future generations.
The consequences of inaction are too dire to ignore, and proactive measures are essential to safeguard public
health, preserve antimicrobial efficacy, and ensure a sustainable future. We further encourage you to help en-
sure that AMR is prioritized on the political agenda in Denmark and the European region