Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government in what ways they are collaborating with international partners to tackle antimicrobial resistance globally, and what role the UK is playing to shape global policies to address this issue.

The United Kingdom champions global action on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and played a lead role in the shaping and adoption of the political declaration on AMR at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The declaration secured commitments on establishing an independent science panel and improved global access to antibiotics. Global governance will be crucial to implementing the commitments, and the UK is committed to working with multilateral fora, such as the G7 and G20, to push for continued momentum on delivering the High-Level Meeting’s commitments and driving ambitious policies that improve access to effective antimicrobials.

In addition, the £210 million Fleming Fund is the largest single investment in global AMR surveillance. This programme partners with governments from Low- and Middle-Income Countries, UN agencies, and key academic institutions from around the world to strengthen surveillance systems and use data to tackle AMR’s deadly impact in countries across Africa and Asia. The £145 million Global AMR Innovation Fund funds innovative products, like therapeutics, preventatives, and diagnostics, to prevent and mitigate AMR, working closely with Product Development Partnerships such as the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership, and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention attended the fourth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR in Jeddah, between 15 and 16 November. Together with other global leaders, the UK adopted the Jeddah Commitments, a framework for global action to combat AMR through a One Health approach.