From Talk to Action: Harnessing Multisectoral Synergies in Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance in Africa

On September 25th, Amref Health Africa hosted a high-level roundtable at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, bringing global health leaders together to identify solutions to address the growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threat. Titled “From Talk to Action: Harnessing Multisectoral Synergies for Collective Impact,” the event underscored the critical need for joint multisectoral efforts to combat the rise of AMR, particularly in Africa, which is projected to bear 40% of global AMR-related deaths by 2050.

The AMR Crisis: A Global Health Emergency

AMR, often called the “silent pandemic,” threatens to undo decades of progress in medicine. Misuse of antibiotics, lack of clean water, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure are fuelling the rise of drug-resistant infections, with low- and middle-income countries—especially in Africa —facing the brunt of this crisis. It was noted that humanitarian settings – due to climate change and other conflict situations – also contribute to the AMR challenge due to interruption of health services, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) and suboptimal Infection Prevention Control (IPC) mechanisms. Dr Ali Yahaya, the Team Lead for Antimicrobial Resistance at the WHO Afro, noted that while most countries in sub-Saharan Africa already have National Action Plans on AMR, their implementation is often lacking. He called for continued investment and political will to ensure that the National Action Plans are implemented and awareness created at the community level to halt the spread of AMR. 

Dr George Kimathi, Director of the Institute for Capacity Development (ICD) at Amref Health Africa, highlighted the urgent need to engage communities: “AMR starts and ends in the community. We must ensure national plans translate into real action on the ground.” Projections indicate that by 2050, the AMR-associated deaths could quadruple to 4.1 million per year in Africa – Ref – Voicing African Priorities on the Active Pandemic: African Union AMR Landmark Report – 2024

Jackline Kiarie, Director of Programmes at ICD Amref, shared their AMR Landscape Analysis findings, which pointed to gaps in awareness and training. “Over half of healthcare workers in Africa aren’t aware of existing AMR policies and guidelines, with only one in every four health workers observing Infection Prevention Control (IPC) protocols in hospital settings,” she noted, calling for better education and the crucial integration of AMR topics into health worker training programs. We must ask ourselves: “What can we do now to ensure that these findings are different five years down the road?”

Solutions through Multisectoral Collaboration

Thomas Breuer, GSK’s Chief Global Health Officer, further emphasized the role of vaccines in preventing infection and reducing the misuse of antibiotics. He highlighted GSK’s commitment to tackling AMR, announcing its €4.5 million funding investment in GARDP to help improve responsible, equitable access to medicines for people living in lower-income countries. “Preventing infections through vaccines can drastically reduce the misuse of antibiotics,” he said, calling for increased industry investment.

Andreas Berglöf, Policy Advisor Health at WaterAid emphasized the role of WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) programs in curbing AMR by improving public health at the grassroots level. This, in turn, reduces the need for antibiotics and the risk of resistance.

Angeli Achrekar from UNAIDS drew comparisons to the HIV/AIDS fight, stressing the importance of clear goals and community engagement. “The HIV response taught us that we need everyone on board—governments, communities, and health systems,” she said, underscoring the value of partnership in combating AMR. The role of Academia in addressing the AMR challenge was also acknowledged noting that evidence generation through research as well as updating curriculums across the One Health sectors were critical success factors in addressing the AMR challenge. 

A Global Call to Action: Commitment and Investment Needed

A recurring message throughout the event was the need for action—backed by investment. Dr Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health Uganda, called for stronger frameworks to unite stakeholders. She firmly stated, “You can’t solve a problem until you know how deep it is”, emphasizing the importance of better surveillance and laboratory capacity. 

The roundtable demonstrated that the time for action is now. To combat AMR effectively, education, diagnostics, and infrastructure investments must be paired with stronger partnerships and multisectoral collaboration. As stakeholders from the public and private sectors committed to this fight, the path from talk to action has never been clearer.