The webinar “Curbing the Invisible Pandemic: Effective Solutions to Collectively Combat Antimicrobial Resistance” was held on December 7, 2021.
ICARS, the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), Asian Development Bank Southeast Asia Development Solutions (ADB SEADS), Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK), and the Embassy of Denmark in Korea held the webinar to bring awareness to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and discuss sustainable solutions for mitigating the global public health threat.
The webinar highlighted the necessary tools and strategies for tackling the root causes of AMR emergence and spread, including the development of vaccines and new drugs as well as initiatives to strengthen global and national capacities in AMR surveillance and data collection.
ICARS’ Scientific Director, Robert Skov, spoke about the value of Implementation and Intervention Research to support the development of sustainable AMR solutions that are context specific, cost effective and locally owned. Other presentations included:
- “Vaccines against AMR—the short- and long-term game” by Dr. Marianne Holm, Head of Epidemiology and Public Health Research, IVI
- “Reinforcing the antibiotic arsenal: conventional and non-conventional strategies” by Dr. Soojin Jang, Head of AMR Lab, IPK
A panel discussion on effective strategies to strengthen global and regional capacities and capabilities for AMR followed, moderated by Dr. Eduardo P. Banzon, Principal Health Specialist in the Southeast Asia Department of ADB, and featuring:
- Dr. Gloria Cristina Córdoba Currea, AMR Advisor, ICARS
- Prof. Nitish Debnath, Team Leader, Fleming Fund Country Grant, DAI Global Health, Bangladesh
- Mr. Han, Sangkyun, Director, Disease Policy Department, Ministry of Health, ROK
- Dr. Nithima Sumpradit, Head of System Research and Development Unit, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand
“I am pleased to be involved in today’s critical discussions. It is encouraging to hear effective solutions for tackling AMR from a diverse range of expertise. We know that AMR is a complex and superwicked problem that requires cross-sectoral and collective action. Many solutions for targeting AMR already exist, now is the time to share best practice and lessons learnt to allow for broader adoption and adaptation of what works.”
Robert Skov, Scientific Director, ICARS
“I am delighted to engage a global network of IVI’s partners and supporters for today’s webinar who have been at the forefront of developing solutions to this grave global health threat and communicating its urgency. Although often prefaced by ‘invisible’ or silent, slow, or unseen to evoke its insidious spread, the AMR pandemic is no less threatening than a rapidly spreading infectious disease like COVID-19 with the potential to disrupt ways of life in all corners of the world and upend a century of medical progress.”
Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI
