Dates: 28-29 October 2024
Location: Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to population health, food security and sustainable development globally. Despite significant progress, the efforts across research, policy and practice to understand, monitor and effectively address AMR have remained largely focused on ‘drugs and bugs’ and directed at individual and micro level. A growing body of literature and strategic commitments stress the importance of considering socio-economic and structural drivers and impacts of AMR, including a specific focus on equity, gender (including beyond sex disaggregation) and social determinants of health (SDH), as well as a people-centred approach to populations in situations of vulnerability. Critical questions remain about how to advance this strategic shift in an evidence-based way.
Capitalizing on the momentum of the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) earlier this year, this workshop brought together 50 key stakeholders from research and policy over two days in Berlin to strengthen research and evidence-informed action on the equity dimensions of AMR at national, European and global level. Additionally, a networking reception was held at the British Embassy in Berlin including video messages from Dame Sally Davies and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and remarks by Johanna Hanefeld. During the workshop, researchers shared insights on various equity dimensions of AMR, including gender and socioeconomic position at global and national level. Policy experts highlighted approaches to strengthen the equity-orientation of national action plans, drawing on examples from Germany and the UK, and international, WHO guidance on AMR. Ultimately participants aimed to strengthen evidence-informed action and bridge the gaps between research and policy.