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STORY: UN / ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
TRT: 04:25
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 26 SEPTEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior
2. Wide shot, speakers entering the press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados:
“All along has been this silent growing pandemic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). And predominantly it has been driven by the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials generally. And the truth is, think about it. Many of us get antibiotics. We use it for a few days. We don't use it for the full course, as prescribed by doctors. We may take them and throw them in the bathroom or in the sink, and then it goes into the environment. So, we have to change behavior at the individual level, and that is a fundamental purpose, first and foremost, for this high-level Summit and the political declaration to begin to effect change.
4. Med shot, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados:
So you begin to see we're not talking about something simple, and that's why my heart bleeds for those who are young in this world, because if we don't get our act together, imagine what happens if you get an infection from going in a garden or having a baby or going to the dentist, these are the things that can bring your life to an end within 48 to 72 hours, if the particular antibiotics that you're using is not effective.
6. Closeup, journalist
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO):
“The declaration is a strong signal from countries that they are committed to addressing this global trend. Today, AMR is one of the most urgent global issues, global health threats, killing over a million people a year. AMR could unwind 100 years of medical progress, making infections that are easily treatable today a death sentence.
6. Med shot, journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO):
“No country is immune to this threat, but low and middle income countries, bear the greatest burden. The declaration includes a target to reduce global deaths associated with bacterial AMR by ten percent by 2030.”
7. Close up, Vanessa Frazier
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO):
But achieving the target set in the declaration requires action beyond the health sector to protect and promote the health of animals, plants and our environment. That's why WHO, FAO, WOAH and UNEP are working together closely in the quadripartite with a one health approach.
8. Wide shot, speakers
10. Close up, Vanessa Frazier
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
“This deadly AMR resistance could potentially lead to 40 million deaths attributable to AMR, and 160 million associated with AMR in just a period of 25 years between 2025 and 2050.”
12. Med shot, journalists
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Emmanuelle Soubeyran, Director-General of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
We really welcome the commitment on the final declaration, especially those prioritizing prevention, regarding animal health and vaccines. When available, vaccines can be robust, at least, to prevent diseases that could otherwise lead to the use of antimicrobials.”
16. Med shot, journalists
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Thanawat Tiensin, Assistant Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
“And we are expecting that by 2030 we will be able to reduce the global antimicrobial use in agri-food system, but we need your support.”
19. Wide shot, end of briefing
20. Wide shot, General Assembly, high-level meeting on AMR
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Philémon Yang, President of the 79th session of the General Assembly:
"High-level meeting approved the draft of political declaration taking into account the need to combat AMR. I hear no objection; it is so decided."
22. Wide shot, high-level meeting on AMR
World leaders and health experts convened at the UN Headquarters in New York today (26 Sep) to address the "silent pandemic" of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with the adoption of a political declaration to confront this escalating global health threat.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High-Level Debate, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, highlighted the severity of the issue, noting that AMR kills over a million people each year. He said, “the declaration is a strong signal from countries that they are committed to addressing this global trend. Today, AMR is one of the most urgent global health threats. AMR could unwind 100 years of medical progress, making infections that are easily treatable today a death sentence.”
Dr. Tedros further emphasized that no nation is exempt from this threat, although low- and middle-income countries bear the greatest burden. He noted the declaration’s goal to reduce global deaths associated with bacterial AMR by ten percent by 2030.
He also said, “achieving the target set in the declaration requires action beyond the health sector to protect and promote the health of animals, plants, and our environment.” he added. Dr. Tedros said that the WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) are collaborating under a "One Health" approach to tackle the issue.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados described AMR as a “silent growing pandemic.” She cited the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials as the primary drivers of resistance.
Mottley said, “many of us get antibiotics. We use it for a few days. We don't use it for the full course, as prescribed by doctors.” She continued, “we have to change behavior at the individual level, and that is a fundamental purpose, first and foremost, for this high-level summit and the political declaration to begin to effect change.”
Mottley painted a dire picture of the future if AMR is not addressed, saying “imagine what happens if you get an infection from going in a garden, or having a baby, or going to the dentist. These are the things that can bring your life to an end within 48 to 72 hours if the particular antibiotic that you're using is not effective.”
Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of UNEP said, “this deadly AMR resistance could potentially lead to 40 million deaths attributable to AMR, and 160 million associated with AMR in just a period of 25 years between 2025 and 2050.”
WOAH Director-General Emmanuelle Soubeyran welcomed the political declaration’s emphasis on prevention, particularly in animal health and the use of vaccines. She said vaccines help “prevent diseases that could otherwise lead to the use of antimicrobials.”
Assistant Director-General of the FAO, Thanawat Tiensin, called for collective action to reduce antimicrobial use in agriculture. He said, “and we are expecting that by 2030 we will be able to reduce the global antimicrobial use in agri-food systems, but we need your support.”
