PM Hasina for partnership in investment to contain antimicrobial resistance

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday stressed the need for transfer of technology and partnership in investment to ensure equitable access to effective antibiotics and other medical facilities and to contain antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

“Let us continue to collaborate meaningfully and keep momentum for ensuring equitable access to affordable and effective antibiotics and other medical facilities through technology transfer and sharing of ownership,” she said.

In a pre-recorded speech aired during the second meeting of the Global Leaders Group (GLG) on AMR, the prime minister also said, “At the same time, let us work for partnerships for investment in AMR containment”.

Stating that the challenge of AMR requires sustained action across sectors, she said that she is pleased to see the finalisation of the action plan in this regard.

Sheikh Hasina, co-chair of the Group, said that she is also happy to support the GLG priority advocating for financing and implementation of multisectoral National Action Plans, with a One Health approach.

Noting that she is glad to approve the comprehensive communications strategy for the GLG, she said, “We will do our part to raise the profile of the GLG work through different networks.”

Financing across sectors is essential to reduce the burden of AMR, she said. “I look forward to hearing your ideas on what the GLG can do to increase sustainable financing to directly address AMR”, she added.

“We also need to ensure that adequate funding is available for the national action plan implementation, research and development, and for ensuring equitable access to new innovations,” she said.

“Needless to say, we need to prioritise political action to achieve our goal. Therefore AMR should be embedded in implementation of SDGs,” she continued.

As a co-chair of the Group, the prime minister expressed her sincere gratitude to Mia Amor Mottley, prime minister of Barbados, for chairing the meeting.

About measures taken by her government to contain AMR, Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh has developed six-year (2017-2022) National Strategic Plan and National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance Containment.

The prime minister further said that Bangladesh AMR Response Alliance has also been formed while laboratory-based AMR surveillance for both human and animal health are being conducted regularly to ensure WHO categorisation.

“We have also been providing AMR surveillance data to WHO GLASS Platform for the last two years,” she said.