Professor Dame Sally Davies: AMR, UNGA and career development
Professor Dame Sally Davies GCB DBE FRS FMedSci is the UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Before this, she was Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England and Chief Medical Adviser to the UK government from March 2011 to September 2019, having held the post on an interim basis since June 2010.
She spoke to RSTMH's Chief Executive, Tamar Ghosh, on her work on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), preparation for the upcoming UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance, as well as her career to date.
Watch the recording below.
UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance
On 26 September 2024, the UN General Assembly will convene a High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for the second time during its 79th session (UNGA 79) in New York.
This meeting is an important opportunity for world leaders to collectively address the looming threat AMR poses to global health, food security, and achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global public health and development threats. It is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths, the WHO has said.
The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals and plants are the main drivers in the development of drug-resistant pathogens.
AMR affects countries in all regions and at all income levels. Its drivers and consequences are exacerbated by poverty and inequality, and low- and middle-income countries are most affected.