13 Jul G20 Leaders' Declaration: A Milestone for Strengthening Global Health

Posted at 16:06h in News by

For the first time, the G20 leaders have jointly declared responsibility for global health, focusing on two broad areas: 1) Safeguarding against health crises and strengthening health systems; 2) antimicrobial resistance.  Below is a summary of the G20 leaders’ declaration:

The G20:

  • Emphasise the importance of universal health coverage (a goal adopted in the 2030 Agenda) and recognize that strong health systems are important to effectively address health.
  • Call on the UN to keep global health high on the political agenda.
  • Strive for cooperative action to strengthen health systems worldwide, including through developing the health workforce.
  • Strive to fully eradicate polio.
  • Support the WHO´s central coordinating role, especially for capacity building and response to health emergencies & encourage full implementation of its emergency reform.
  • Advocate for sufficient and sustainable funding to strengthen global health capacities, including for rapid financing mechanisms and the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.
  • See the need to foster R&D preparedness through globally coordinated models as guided by the WHO R&D Blueprint, such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

Combating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR):

  • Aim to have implementation in combating AMR on their National Action Plans, based on a One-Health approach, well under way by the end of 2018.
  • Will promote the prudent use of antibiotics in all sectors and strive to restrict their use in veterinary medicine to therapeutic uses alone.
  • Underline that treatments should be available through prescription or the veterinary equivalent only.
  • Strengthen public awareness, infection prevention and control and improve the understanding of the issue of antimicrobials in the environment.
  • Will promote access to affordable and quality antimicrobials, vaccines and diagnostics, including through efforts to preserve existing therapeutic options.
  • Highlight the importance of fostering R&D, in particular for priority pathogens as identified by the WHO and tuberculosis.
  • Call for a new international R&D Collaboration Hub to maximize the impact of existing and new anti-microbial basic and clinical research initiatives as well as product development. Invite all interested countries and partners to join this new initiative.

Read the full “G20 Leaders´ Declaration: Shaping an interconnected world“.

Read the open letter sent to G20 leaders on 28 June 2017 (co-signed by AIGHD), calling for urgent action on growing global health challenges.