With the release in May of the final report and recommendations of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, GBCHealth has convened a group of global leaders to discuss the potential impact of AMR and their priorities for immediate action. Each of the recommendations included is essential to support the development of systems to effectively withstand the threat of AMR. Yet, there is clearly much work to be done.
A Global Discussion on Antimicrobial Resistance by Ian Matthews, Director, GBCHealth
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is among the greatest threats to human health and development. Projections indicate that by 2050, AMR has the potential to cause at least 10 million deaths worldwide with the cumulative economic costs topping $100 trillion. If not properly addressed, AMR will quickly undermine gains made during the MDG era – particularly in TB, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and maternal and child health — in addition to having wide-ranging implications for the future of animal health and sustainable food production.
The issues at the heart of AMR are so complex that they cannot be adequately addressed by a single state or actor alone. A resolute and coordinated global response is needed to bring governments and communities together with NGOs, academia, and the private sector to establish well-regulated health and food systems, to provide investment in critical health technologies and to promote access and rational use of these technologies. Read the full introduction here.
The #GBCtalksAMR series includes interviews with:
Biographies
Dr. David M. Barash
Executive Director, Global Health Portfolio & Chief Medical Officer, GE Foundation
David M. Barash, M.D. is the Executive Director of the Global Health Portfolio and Chief Medical Officer for the GE Foundation. The Foundation’s Developing Health initiatives are approached with the belief that simple interventions, along with strong partnerships and leaders, are often the answer to some of healthcare’s most complex problems. Dr. Barash is also co-chair of the Private Sector Roundtable, a collaboration of several multinational companies to support the work of the Global Health Security Agenda.
Dr. Barash is a practicing emergency medicine physician with more than 30 years’ experience. He has focused a great deal on understanding how new technologies can be commercialized and delivered to effectively close the gap between brainstorm and bedside.
Prior to joining the GE Foundation, Dr. Barash was Chief Medical Officer of Life Care Solutions and Executive Medical Director of Health Care Services for GE Healthcare. He was also Founder and President of Concord Healthcare Strategies, where he provided strategic and operational expertise to medical technology investors and development stage medical technology companies.
Ambassador Juan José Gómez Camacho
Permanent Representative from Mexico to the United Nations
Ambassador Juan José Gómez-Camacho has been the Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations in New York since February 2016.
A career diplomat since 1988, the Ambassador has held different positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and abroad, amongst them: Ambassador to the European Union as well as Head of Mission to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva; and Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore, concurrent to the Union of Myanmar and the Sultanate of Brunei-Darussalam.
Ambassador Gómez-Camacho bears a broad experience in negotiations, both in the bilateral and multilateral fields, and in varied topics such as Political Affairs; Human Rights; Telecommunications; Disarmament, Nuclear and Conventional; and Health.
In the field of Global Health, he co-chaired negotiations for the WHO Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework (PIP), and had a prominent role in the conclusion of several landmark agreements and WIPO’s Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or otherwise Print Disabled.
Ambassador Gómez-Camacho was invited last April by the President of the General Assembly to facilitate the outcome document for the High Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance, held on September 21st, 2016, during the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly.
He holds a Master’s Degree in international law from Georgetown University in the United States, and earned his bachelor’s degree in law from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.
Dr. Monique Eloit
Director General, World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
Monique Eloit is the 7th Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health, and is the first woman to hold the position.
Dr. Eloit joined the OIE as Deputy Director-General in 2009, after 4 years as the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) of France. In 1999, she was appointed Director at the French Food Safety Agency (Afssa) where she helped to reform the expert committees, supervised national veterinary laboratories with regard to their scientific and technical support activities. During the 1990s, she successively occupied the positions of Assistant to the French Deputy Director for animal health and protection, then Deputy Head of the Department for food quality and veterinary and plant health actions.
From the very first years of her work, Dr. Eloit had to deal with sensitive issues such as the transport and slaughter of livestock, at both the national level and at European Community level. She was trained as a doctor in veterinary medicine at the Alfort National Veterinary School (France).
Rohit Malpani
Director of Policy and Analysis, Médecins Sans Frontières
Rohit Malpani is Director of Policy and Analysis at Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) Access Campaign. Prior to this, Mr. Malpani was Special Advisor, Policy and Campaigns Unit for Oxfam Hong Kong. Previously, he served as Senior Campaigns Advisor at Oxfam America – an international development and humanitarian. Previously, he worked as a human rights advisor to the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization, and also with local civil society groups in Thailand and Argentina. Mr. Malpani started his legal career as an intellectual property attorney with the law firm of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich and Rosati. He has a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the New York University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Rice University.
Dr. Nafsiah Mboi
Special Envoy, Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA)
Prior to her role as Envoy of the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance, Dr. Nafsiah Mboi was Minister of Health of Indonesia (2012-2014), and Chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (2013-2015). In addition to extensive community level experience, she has been a national and global leader in health – serving as Director of the Department of Gender and Women’s Health at WHO (1999-2002) and Secretary of Indonesia’s National AIDS Commission (2006-2012) before her appointment as Minister of Health. Having developed her professional career with the Indonesian Ministry of Health for over 40 years, human rights, women and gender rights, and child rights remain central to her professional and personal lives.
Maria Helena Semedo
Deputy Director-General, Coordinator Natural Resources, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Ms. Semedo, a national of Cabo Verde, holds an M.Sc. in Economics. She began her career in 1984 for the Ministry of Planning and Cooperation in Cabo Verde. From 1986-91 she worked as Economist/ Coordinator for the Bank of Cabo Verde, and from 1991-93 as Secretary of State for Fisheries when she became Minister for Fisheries, Agriculture and Rural Affairs followed by Minister for Marine Affairs from 1995-98. During this time, she also served as Coordinator of the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in Sahel, as Chairperson of the Ministerial Conference on Fisheries Cooperation among African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean and as Chairperson of the Ministerial Conference on Fisheries Cooperation among African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean.
From 1998-2001, she was Minister for Tourism, Transportation and Marine Affairs. And from 2001 to 2003 she was a Member of Parliament.
Ms Semedo joined FAO in 2003 as FAO Representative in Niger. In October 2008, she was appointed Deputy Regional Representative for Africa and Subregional Coordinator for West Africa. The following year she became FAO Assistant Director-General/Regional Representative for Africa.
She has held her current position as FAO Deputy Director-Generalsince July 2013.