Leading global health organisations found an alliance to support the UN Resolution on Antimicrobial Resistance
The German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) is one of nine founding organisations that have launched the alliance “CARA” (Conscience of Antimicrobial Resistance Accountability). Today, a resolution against antimicrobial resistance will be introduced at a high-level United Nations (UN) General Assembly meeting, and will be supported by CARA in future. More public sector and private industry are expected to join the alliance over the coming months.
CARA members will work to hold the United Nations and other international bodies, nationalgovernments, the private sector, and civil society to the commitments they have made to ensure sustainable access to effective antimicrobials.
To this effect, the alliance has formulated several goals: first, to increase the surveillance of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance; second, to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics; third, to make antibiotics globally available, particularly also in low-income countries; fourth, to fund research that promotes the development of new antimicrobials, boost the effectiveness of existing agents, improve diagnostics for infectious diseases and develop vaccines. And, last but not least: fifth, to hold the relevant bodies accountable for the agreed goals.
CARA expects to adopt clear, quantitative targets to meet the general goals. Additionally, the alliance will regularly provide progress and success reports, make recommendations and identify areas of weakness which require further attention.
As a first measure, the alliance will jointly develop a plan for the first five years of its work. The plan will specify the activities each member organisation will undertake in order to meet the CARA initiative’s goals.
The nine CARA founding organisations include:
- Antibiotic Resistance Action Center (ARAC), the George Washington University
- British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC)
- Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP)
- Center for Global Development (CGD)
- Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)
- German Center for Infection research (DZIF)
- The Pew Charitable Trusts
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH)
- World Alliance Against Antibiotic Resistance (WAAAR)
“Increasing resistance threatens the health of the global population. The UN Resolution on Antimicrobial Resistance will usher in a new era of global involvement to maintain the effectiveness of antibiotics and ensure reliable access. It is our responsibility to act as the conscience of the public sector, private sector, and civil society organizations, to ensure that they are carrying out the responsibilities that have been established in this resolution,” says Prof Ramanan Laxminarayan, member of the DZIF Scientific Advisory Board and Director of the “Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy”, one of CARA’s founding organisations.
