The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials − especially antibiotics − in humans, animals and plants are driving the rise of drug-resistant infections. This makes common infections harder to treat and medical procedures and treatments, such as surgery and chemotherapy, much riskier.

Other factors that contribute to the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections include a lack of clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and inadequate infection prevention and control. These promote the spread of microbes that are resistant to treatment in health facilities and communities.

Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific said that countries in the Asia-Pacific region are determined to tackle this rising threat to health and development globally.

The WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions is home to nearly half of the world’s population. In 2019, Antimicrobial Resistance was the cause of an estimated 700 000 deaths in the two regions, representing more than half of the global deaths caused by Antimicrobial Resistance. Beyond the immediate threat to human health, Antimicrobial Resistance also threatens global and national economies. For instance, unless it can be effectively addressed, countries and areas of the WHO Western Pacific Region are expected to face excess economic costs of up to US$ 148 billion due to AMR between 2020 and 2030.

Health leaders from countries and areas of the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions endorsed a joint position paper on antimicrobial resistance in the human health sector in the Asia-Pacific region, at an event held on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly on 28 May, in Geneva, Switzerland.

“The endorsement of this joint position paper by 25 countries and areas across the Asia-Pacific region shows their determination to lead global efforts to tackle this fundamental threat to health and economies,” said Dr Piukala.

The joint position paper was initiated by the Government of Japan, and endorsed by Asia-Pacific countries, namely, Tonga, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Vanuatu, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

The paper will be taken to the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance in New York in September 2024.

Commitment by world leaders

World leaders are recognizing the urgency of addressing antimicrobial resistance.

“To address the urgent issue of AMR, which is referred to as a ‘silent pandemic’, we have to further accelerate international cooperation and leadership in response to it,” said Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, Mr Shiozaki Akihisa.

WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, Ms. Saima Wazed, described the action, “This week, health ministers at the World Health Assembly will discuss how to accelerate the response to AMR. By making this commitment today, and taking it to the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR in September, countries from Asia and the Pacific are making clear that they recognize the urgency of action, and they are demonstrating commitment to drive change from our part of the world.”

The World Health Assembly will also consider a resolution recognizing the need for a One Health approach, involving human and veterinary medicine, agriculture, aquaculture, the environment and other sectors. The draft resolution calls on WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), to continue working with Member States on efforts to address AMR and to adopt the WHO strategic and operational priorities to address drug-resistant bacterial infections in the human health sector, 2025−2035.