India joins the Global AMR R&D hub

Today the Global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Research and Development (R&D) Hub is pleased to announce that India has joined the Hub as a new Member. This expands the global partnership working to address challenges and improve coordination and collaboration in global AMR R&D to 16 countries, the European Commission, two philanthropic foundations and four international organisations (as observers).

The Global AMR R&D Hub was launched in May 2018 in the margins of the 71st session of the World Health Assembly, following a call from G20 Leaders in 2017. The Global AMR R&D Hub supports global priority setting and evidence-based decision-making on the allocation of resources for AMR R&D through the identification of gaps, overlaps and potential for cross-sectoral collaboration and leveraging in AMR R&D. The operation of the Global AMR R&D Hub is supported through a Secretariat, established in Berlin under the roof of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) and currently financed through grants from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).

With India having joined, the Members of the Global AMR R&D Hub now represent more than half the world’s population. It gives the Global AMR R&D Hub a direct link to the significant activities on, and perspectives around, AMR in these countries.

The acting Chair of the Global AMR R&D Hub Board of Members, Bersabel Ephrem, Director General of the Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control at the Public Health Agency of Canada said:

“I am very pleased to welcome India as an important addition to our global partnership. Addressing AMR requires global action with active participation from all world regions and One Health sectors. Expanding the membership of the Hub works towards ensuring that different countries needs are incorporated when considering AMR R&D activities and actions.”

Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India said:

“I am delighted to announce that India has joined Global AMR R&D Hub through the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. From this year onward India will be a member of Board of Members of Global AMR R&D Hub. By partnering, with the Global AMR R&D Hub we look forward to working with all partners to leverage their existing capabilities, resources and collectively focus on new R&D intervention to address drug resistant infections.

The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance continue unabated around the world. Given the important and interdependent human, animal, and environmental dimensions of antimicrobial resistance, it is reasonable to explore issues of antimicrobial resistance through the lens of One Health approach and should be supported by long-term commitments from all stakeholders.

We all have a role to play to protect the efficacy of antimicrobial agents and to support the efforts of the different sectors at national, regional and global levels. Working together, we can address this threat and change the trajectory of health for humanity.”

Membership of the Global AMR R&D Hub is open to G20 and non-G20 countries as well as to nongovernmental donor organisations investing in AMR R&D (e.g. philanthropic foundations). Any country or organisation sharing the vision and objectives of the Global AMR R&D Hub is invited to participate in this joint effort to strengthen the global AMR R&D landscape.

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