Hub by GlobalAMRHub

The Global Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Development Hub Evidence-based decision making for AMR R&D

The Global Knowledge Centre for AMR R&D

Tackling antimicrobial resistance is absolutely essential to safeguard global health Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to be one of the biggest threats facing humanity. AMR currently kills more people than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined - 4.95 million people globally in 2019 - one in five of those deaths was a child under the age of five. If no action is taken now, by 2050 we are set to enter a post-antibiotic era in which resistant infections could become the leading cause of death world-wide. AMR exerts significant economic impacts, with consequences for international trade, health care costs and productivity. Inaction now will lead to predicted costs of 100 trillion USD by 2050. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics continues to drive drug resistance, but limited access to the most effective drugs is also a major factor fuelling AMR. AMR is complex and needs to be tackled at multiple levels across many different sectors – human, animal and environment. Collective action at scale and across a critical mass of countries is urgently required, especially amidst rising resistance rates globally. Investment in research, development and innovation are crucial elements in mitigating the impacts of AMR and developing solutions in terms of effective policies, products or tools that lead to prevention, containment or mitigation of AMR.

❶

The Global Knowledge Centre for AMR R&D

“We call for a new international R&D Collaboration Hub to maximise the impact of existing and new anti-microbial basic and clinical research initiatives as well as product development.” Hamburg G20 Leaders ́ Declaration: Shaping an interconnected world, 8th July 2017

Key objectives: Our Vision A sustainable ecosystem for the research and development of the solutions, tools, products and strategies we need to mitigate the ongoing impacts of AMR

Our Mission We provide an evidence base to enhance AMR R&D activities and policies across the One Health spectrum

• Inform high-level decision makers on R&D pipelines and other relevant aspects of AMR R&D, in order to identify and prioritise R&D gaps and help focus high-level decision-making, • Facilitate the efficient allocation of resources, • Promote increased investments into push and pull incentives for AMR R&D in order to maximize the impact of national and international research activities, • Foster international research collaboration among different partners globally, including industry and academia, • Support the filling of product pipelines with priority candidates, using an appropriate mix of incentives, with a view to the development of deployable products, while recognizing the importance of access, prudent use, and stewardship, • Inform policy makers on AMR R&D and keep attention on AMR at high political levels, • Raise and maintain public awareness and visibility through communication of the work of the Hub and its results.

❷

The Global Knowledge Centre for AMR R&D

About Us Building on the adoption of the ‘Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance’ in May 2015 by the World Health Assembly (WHA) and the publication of ‘The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance’ in 2016, there was a growing awareness of the need for harmonized and immediate action on a global scale to ensure treatment and prevention of infectious diseases to mitigate the rising tide of AMR.

The research and development (R&D) of and sustainable investment into new effective strategies, tools and products that could lead to prevention, containment or mitigation of AMR was highlighted as a key feature of any strategy to combat AMR. However, there was recognition of the need for increased coordination of R&D investments to help prioritize the development of the products, tools and strategies with the highest potential societal impact and to prevent overlaps and duplicative efforts, especially given limited resources and finite funds. With a mandate to further improve the coordination of international efforts and initiatives to tackle AMR while further increasing investments into R&D for AMR, the Global AMR R&D Hub (hereafter ‘Hub’) was launched on the margins of the WHA in May 2018. Operations began in January 2019 with the establishment of a small Secretariat in Berlin, funded by the German government, to conduct the administrative planning and implementation of the Hub‘s activities.

The Hub comprises a Board of Members (currently 17 countries, European Commission, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome) as the key decision making body and 5 Observers (WHO, FAO, OECD, WOAH, Africa CDC), supported by the Hub Secretariat based in Berlin, as well as a Stakeholder Group (20 organisations from academia, industry, funders and civil society).

❸ Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education & Research