On September 21, a prominent lineup of global health experts gathered at the United Nations General Assembly SDG Summit 2023 to address critical issues surrounding global health equity. The ‘Health and Hope’ event was moderated by Dr. Susan Rogers Van Katwyk of the AMR Policy Accelerator, alongside renowned journalists Caitríona Perry from BBC News and Rhitu Chatterjee from NPR.
The panelists included Professor Dame Sally Davies, the UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance, and Dr. Hadiza Shehu Galadanci, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.
Some of the takeaways from this important conversation include:
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) causes 1.3 million direct deaths annually, surpassing HIV and TB, making it the world’s third-leading cause of death. We can no longer talk about AMR as a silent pandemic – it affects every single one of us.
- The Sustainable Development Goals won’t be achieved on time if we don’t
do more to mitigate the impact of rising AMR on our health systems, food
systems and the environment. We have to look for opportunities
to break down barriers between these siloed issues! - How do we win this second half-time against AMR? We practice good hygiene to prevent infections in humans and animals, make vaccines accessible, use antibiotics only when necessary, support training and access for healthcare workers, and trial new ways of paying for new antibiotics, and rally together for collective commitments to address the issue.
The ‘Health and Hope‘ event was part of the SDG Pavilion, a unique convening space and art installation created through collaboration between the UN Office for Partnerships and Project Everyone, a not-for-profit communications agency co-founded by SDG Advocate Richard Curtis and artist Es Devlin. The SDG Pavilion served as a platform for a series of Halftime Talks during the United Nations General Assembly from September 15 to 22, 2023, dedicated to accelerating action for people and the planet.
As global leaders and experts converged at the SDG Summit 2023, the ‘Health and Hope’ event highlighted ongoing efforts to address pressing health challenges and promote a brighter future for all.
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