AMR-related risks and opportunities for investors

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global health, rendering many antibiotics and antifungals ineffective and limiting our ability to treat drug-resistant infections. Beyond human health, it also threatens food safety and security, with wide-reaching effects on global economies. 

In response, the Access to Medicine Foundation, the FAIRR Initiative, and the UK Government launched the Investor Action on Antimicrobial Resistance (IAAMR) to mobilise investor action against the global threat of drug-resistant infections. 

In line with the UN General Assembly’s high-level AMR meeting in September 2024, IAAMR and its investor members released a statement outlining seven key policy recommendations for global leaders. The statement calls for a science-based, target-driven approach, modelled on the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which provides policymakers with regular, evidence-based assessments to guide action. 

IAAMR investors are calling for reduced use of antimicrobials in agriculture and animal farming, along with responsible management of contaminated wastewater—priorities that fall under the ‘One Health’ approach, which emphasises the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. 

They are also calling for sufficient funding to incentivise the research and development of new antimicrobials and alternatives, as well as global, equitable access to these treatments through a potential multilateral fund for low- and middle-income countries. 

Today, the group has grown to 86 signatories, with total assets under management reaching US$13.9 trillion. Going forward, investors will hold roundtable discussions every three months to review actions based on the seven recommendations.