Media Contact:
Kelly Thibert, DO, MPH National President
American Medical Student Association
Email: [email protected]
Sterling, VA – February 2, 2017: The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) has joined the Antibiotic Resistance Coalition (ARC), an independent alliance of members from six continents working across health, agriculture, consumer, and development sectors. ARC advocates for policy changes and action to prevent the onset of a post-antibiotic era.
Since its establishment in 2014, ahead of the 67th World Health Assembly when the resolution to draft the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was first adopted, ARC has amplified civil society’s voice across countries and sectors at key policy forums. Through coordinated efforts, the Coalition has engaged intergovernmental organizations and national governments in shaping and implementing the global action plan on AMR, briefed United Nations agencies, country representatives, and other stakeholders before the High-level Meeting on AMR, and urged stakeholders—including food retailers and health facilities—to change their sourcing practices to combat drug resistance.
AMSA’s mission is rooted in its members’ commitment to advocating for improved healthcare and equitable healthcare delivery. AMSA has consistently prioritized patients over profits and remains dedicated to addressing public health challenges. As future physicians and public health professionals, AMSA fully supports ARC’s efforts to combat the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance and sees its participation in the coalition as a step toward ensuring the effective and safe care of future patients.
Before its formal launch, ARC’s founding organizations drafted the Declaration on Antibiotic Resistance, outlining critical principles and actions needed to “urgently avert the looming post-antibiotic catastrophe.” The Declaration focuses on three core areas: curbing excessive use while ensuring access for those in need, addressing the overuse of antimicrobials in food and agriculture, and developing an effective innovation system for new antibiotics, diagnostics, and other tools that support health, accessibility, and responsible use. The Coalition also presents recommendations for international action and cooperation, urging governments and global organizations, including the WHO, FAO, and OIE, to take meaningful steps in curbing drug resistance across sectors. AMSA, along with all other Coalition members, is a signatory to the Declaration, fully committing to its principles and actions.
At multiple policy forums, ARC has called for global leadership to promote new, needs-driven, and open research and development models based on de-linkage principles—separating R&D costs from both price and sales volume. The Coalition also advocates for phasing out the non-therapeutic use of antimicrobials in food animal production and directing investments toward innovative technologies and stewardship practices that transform healthcare delivery and promote sustainable agricultural systems.
About AMSA:
AMSA is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Founded in 1950, AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. To learn more about AMSA, our strategic priorities, or joining the organization, please visit us online at http://amsa.org.
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