The WHO “will call on world leaders to address critical global health challenges, and invest in global public health, at meetings throughout the high-level week of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), to be held in New York from 20 to 30 September 2024.” Their website has the release.
The second High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) will occur on 26 September. Outlined in the draft political declaration for the meeting are the potential consequences of not taking decisive action on AMR. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, warns that AMR “threatens a century of medical progress and could return us to the pre-antibiotic era, where infections that are treatable today could become a death sentence.”
Progress toward health targets globally “remains off track, exacerbated by ongoing humanitarian, social, and climate crises. Millions of people still lack access to life-saving health services, highlighting the link between health and sustainable development.” During the so-called Summit of the Future, “Heads of State and high-ranking government officials are expected to endorse the Pact for the Future, which will include a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. Health priorities are well-reflected in the outcomes, including the importance of access to health services and achieving universal health coverage.”
Dr. Tedros and WHO representatives will also focus on “conveying the importance of investing in global health and of a robust and fully funded WHO to work with countries in advancing health for all. On 23 September, Dr Tedros and European Investment Bank President Nadia Calviño will hold a live-streamed fireside chat moderated by Suzanne Lynch of Politico on why investing in primary healthcare is critical at a time of increased shocks caused by disease outbreaks like mpox.”
