EU-ASIA HIGH-LEVEL WEBINAR EVENT ON ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR)
Bangkok, Thailand – 3 October 2021 – On 18-20 October 2021, the first EU-funded high-level international conference will allow for greater cooperation between European and Asian experts and policymakers to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance, one of the most pressing public health issues of our century.
On 18-20 October, over 200 attendees, including experts on AMR issues coming from Europe, Thailand and other Asian countries will take part in the first ever high-level international conference funded by the European Union.
The virtual event will provide a platform for exchanges of best practices, experiences and will pave the way for stronger cooperation to address AMR.
AMR causes rising concern, as it threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi no longer reactive to common medicines. Globally, AMR is believed to cause approximately 700,000 deaths per year. It has also been estimated that failing to tackle AMR could cause 10 million deaths a year and cost up to 100 trillion USD by 2050. The highest impact is also likely to be found in Asia and Africa, accounting for 4.7 and 4.2 million deaths respectively. In Thailand, a preliminary study on the burden of AMR has revealed that AMR causes approximately 38,000 deaths annually and that overall economic losses due to AMR are as much as 1.2 billion USD. Further to the spread of high-level drug resistance at a wide scale, Thailand’s National Strategic Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2017-2021 has been put in place to tackle this emerging AMR pandemic.
“As more infections are becoming resistant to ever more antibiotics, we must strengthen our collective resolve to stop this process and commit to arrest this global trend alongside our Asian partners. Through decisive action such as the European One Health Action Plan against antimicrobial resistance, the ability to prevent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from becoming the next pandemic is firmly within our grasp. This first high-level international conference on AMR in Thailand, followed by 3 workshops in India, Japan and China later in December and beginning 2022, are examples of the spirit of global cooperation needed to prevail against the rising threat of AMR.” said Claire Bury, Deputy Director General in the European Commission Directorate-General “Health and Food Safety” (SANTE) .
Background:
This series of high-level international conferences and workshops are organised by the European Union under its Partnership Instrument with the EU Delegation to Thailand. Following this first international AMR conference, three consecutive workshops will be held in Japan, India and China, respectively on Human Health, Animal Health including Environment and Research and Innovation, during which experts and stakeholders, will be able to exchange views, discuss measures and research that can be undertaken at national, regional and international levels.
More details and registration for this high-level EU/pan-Asian AMR Webinar are available here. (password: AMRASIA2021).
More details on the work of the European Commission on AMR are available here.
For more information, please contact:
AMR Events Secretariat (General organisation): Phillippe van Maldeghem – pvm@candm.sk
AMR Events Secretariat (Press/Asian participants): Sukanya Uerchuchai – sukanya.uer@gmail.com AMR Events Secretariat (Sessions): Dr. Pattarachai Kiratisin – pattarachai.kir@mahidol.edu
EU Delegation in Thailand : delegation-thailand-pi@eeas.europa.eu
