Global health leaders meet in Saudi Arabia to tackle the ‘silent pandemic’

ISTANBUL

Amid growing concerns about one of the world’s most pressing health threats, Saudi Arabia is hosting the fourth high-level ministerial meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to tackle a ‘silent pandemic’.

The meeting brings together health leaders and experts around the world to confront what officials are calling a “silent pandemic” that is claiming more than 1 million lives every year.

The conference will be held in Jeddah from November 14 to 16.

Antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, currently causes 1.14 million deaths every year, with experts warning this figure could rise to 39 million by 2050 if immediate action is not taken.

Against this backdrop, Saudi Arabia is leading a crucial international dialogue aimed at strengthening the global response to this escalating crisis.

“AMR threatens people of all ages and impacts human, animal and plant health, the environment and food safety,” Saudi Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel said in his opening speech. approach that systematically addresses the obstacles that hinder progress.”

The meeting also serves as a platform for Saudi Arabia to announce three new initiatives focusing on AMR issues, which will be monitored for tangible results.

Dr. Abdullah Assiri, Assistant Deputy Minister for Preventive Healthcare, revealed that these initiatives will address urgent AMR issues within a tangible timeframe, complete with monitoring and evaluation processes.

Dr. Mohammed bin Khalid Al-Abd Al-Aali, Assistant Minister of Health, emphasized the ‘one health’ approach, which integrates sectors such as human health, agriculture, animal health and the environment. “The leaders of the Member States represent all these areas, sharing ideas and tackling this complex issue,” he said.

The threat posed by AMR is immediate, warned WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Antimicrobial resistance is not a risk for the future; it is here and now, making many antibiotics and other drugs we depend on less effective and making routine infections more difficult to treat, disabling or fatal.”

WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr. Hanan Balkhy noted that effective action could save $99 billion annually in healthcare costs by 2025 and potentially expand the global economy by $990 billion by 2050.

However, she highlighted the challenges: Developing a new antibiotic takes about ten years and costs $1.2 billion, but bacterial resistance can make these antibiotics ineffective in just two years.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), also said: “The Jeddah Declaration calls for immediate action to protect the environment as part of our AMR response.”

She emphasized the need for less wastewater and waste from pharmaceutical production, the agricultural food sector, healthcare facilities and municipal systems.

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