Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
December 11, 2023 – Antimicrobial resistance is an important development globally for the near future, and Mia Mottley highlighted the seriousness of this amid climate change effects.
Mottley highlights this, acknowledging the new development of health being at the center of climate efforts.
She points out that focusing on health gives the world a chance to be steps ahead of what can happen due to the changing climatic conditions, and she specifically refers to “new pathogens.”
“There’s a strong possibility of new pathogens that will develop, and we expect that we need to be able to ensure that we are in a position to treat people when and if these new pathogens become a reality across our globe,” she said.
She continued to speak of her support for the Health Global Initiative, which focuses on antimicrobial resistance, a necessity, as she points out, adding that it’s the third largest killer in the world, hence the importance of resistance.
Mottley further underscores the grave nature of antimicrobial resistance, expressing the prediction that it is the largest reason for deaths by 2050, reversing a century of medical progress, she says.
In fact, the level of seriousness runs so deep that Mottley says acts such as going to the dentist and having a baby will be high-risk if stronger efforts aren’t made regarding resistance.
Expressing that more needs to be done for antimicrobial resistance, Mottley referred to the number of firms doing research in the year 2000, compared to now.
“In the year 2000, the world had 20 firms doing research on antimicrobial resistance and looking for new antibiotics; today there are four firms.”
Next year, in 2024, there will be a General Assembly on antimicrobial resistance, and Mottley maintained that it might hopefully reignite and reposition in people’s minds the need for more financing for antimicrobial resistance. She emphasized this by highlighting that this COVID-19 pandemic was a lesson, showing the world what happens when it’s not prepared for new pathogens.
