Slowing the spread of superbugs, speeding up development and access

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fragility and lack of resilience of the world’s healthcare systems. However, chronic inequalities in access to medicine long predate the current global crisis of COVID-19 vaccine inequity. 

Antibiotics and antifungals remain unaffordable and unavailable in much of the world, particularly affecting the 83% of the world’s population who live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Each year around 5.7 million people die because they cannot access or afford antibiotics – and the stark reality is that this figure comes from a typical year, rather than one affected by a pandemic.  

At the same time, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is being hailed by many experts as the next big global health threat. Ensuring equitable access to antibiotics is essential to curb AMR and promote cross-border health security. 

The panel discussion will explore questions such as: 

• Why is it important to view AMR in the context of global cross-border health security?
• Why is addressing the spread of AMR important for multiple stakeholders to consider? 
• How does government prioritisation lead to greater action from industry?
• What opportunities exist for the private sector, academic research institutions, product development partnerships and procurers to improve access to antibiotics in LMICs?
• What innovative approaches to improving access to antibiotics have been successful, and how can such efforts be expanded upon?

• Access issues in LMICs and innovative solutions from the Access to Medicine Foundation
  Speaker: Fatema Rafiqi, Research Programme Manager, representing the Access to Medicine Foundation to talk about specific findings from the Foundation’s new research paper in the context of industry progress and future opportunities.  
• Supporting sustainable solutions on new and existing antibiotics – global, regional and national considerations
  Speaker: Jennifer Cohn, Global Access Leader, representing GARDP to talk about the importance of embedding a global access strategy into late-stage development efforts of new antibiotics, implementing this strategy, and access considerations on existing antibiotics. 
• The need for public-private collaboration on new antibiotic development and access
  Speaker: Takuko Sawada, Director and Executive Vice President, Integrated Disease Care Strategy Division, representing Shionogi to discuss the role of pharma in improving access, along with existing market limitations and respective solutions, including the need for public support to advance R&D and global access efforts.  
• AMR in the context of Dutch health security: Scope of the global AMR problem
  Speaker: Sian Williams, Senior Policy Advisor, representing the Wellcome Trust to speak about the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) study results and specifically the prevalence of AMR in LMICs and the potential future impact on populations.

Moderated discussion with panellists providing a Dutch, European, and global perspective on the 4 presentations on curbing the spread of AMR:

• Constance Schultsz, Professor of Global Health, Department of Global Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam (Moderator). 
• Cornelis Boersma, Executive Board Member, the Netherlands Antibiotic Development Platform, on strategic R&D investments.
• Christina de Vries, Senior Health Expert, Cordaid and Dutch Global Health Alliance, on the importance of improving access to antibiotics to advance the Dutch global health agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 
• Peter Hermans, Professor in Infection and Immunology Trials at Utrecht University / UMC Utrecht, European Clinical Research Alliance on Infectious Diseases, ECRAID. 
• Fatema Rafiqi, Research Programme Manager, Access to Medicine Foundation, on improving access to antibiotics in the context of health security and pandemic preparedness.

Access to Medicine Foundation events
Through moderated workshops and panel discussions, the Foundation provides space for people working with and within healthcare companies to come together and discuss access to essential medicines. Participants use the insights to redefine access strategies and internal metrics, while in turn informing the Foundation’s approach to mobilising the most important companies across five essential healthcare sectors.

The Foundation has organised previous interactive workshops on topics including access to generic medicines, shortages and stockouts of lifesaving products, access to medical oxygen, lessons learned from COVID-19 and how to ramp up access to medicine toward 2030.