GHealth News – The European Commission and the World Health Organization have signed a €3.5 million EU4Health agreement aimed at strengthening the global fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Through this partnership, the WHO will enhance its monitoring of antimicrobial and medical countermeasure development, create guidance for new antibacterial innovations, and advance the implementation of its Priority Pathogen Lists to help steer research and public-health strategies worldwide. The agreement also supports efforts to improve access to both new and existing antibiotics.
Ahead of her meeting with WHO Regional Directors for Europe and Africa, Dr Hans Kluge and Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib emphasized the urgency of the issue. “Antimicrobial resistance is a serious yet silent threat, claiming more than 35,000 lives each year in the EU alone. This agreement between the Commission and WHO will bolster high-impact research and global health initiatives to prevent and control AMR. Together with the WHO, we are strengthening our ability to prevent, prepare for, and protect the health of our populations.”
The agreement also includes support for advancing bacteriophage (phage) therapy, an emerging treatment that uses viruses to precisely target and destroy bacteria. Seen as a promising complement to traditional antibiotics, phage therapy is gaining renewed attention for its potential to address drug-resistant infections. The initiative will work toward establishing best practices for phage research and ensuring its safe, effective use.
Since 2022, the European Commission has made AMR a top priority and continues to collaborate closely with the WHO to develop new medical countermeasures and reinforce global preparedness.