The 4th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) wrapped up on Saturday with the adoption of the Jeddah Commitments, which lay out practical, actionable and cross-sectoral steps stakeholders can take to address this complex health issue.
Immediately following the adoption of the commitments in the Saudi coastal city, the host country’s Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel said the conference outcome provides “critical building blocks” for member states and international bodies to significantly act against antimicrobial resistance, and that it builds on the Political Declaration on AMR adopted at a High-Level UN General Assembly meeting a few weeks ago in New York.
The commitments highlight the role of the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR, which is comprised of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). They also call for the creation of a new ‘biotech bridge’ aimed at boosting research, development and innovation to find solutions to the global threat.
Minister Al-Jalajel announced the establishment of an AMR ‘One Health’ Learning Hub and a regional Antimicrobial Access and Logistics Hub in Saudi Arabia to foster global collaboration and improve access to essential antimicrobials and diagnostics.
