Dear friends,
I hope you are keeping well and staying safe.
Today, we launch the fourth edition of the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
Benchmark at a pivotal moment for global health.
Each year, millions of people die because they cannot access effective
antibiotics, while more than one million deaths are directly attributable to
drug-resistant infections. Together, lack of access and rising resistance
are shaping the future of healthcare, with the heaviest burden falling on
communities in low- and middle-income countries.
There are grounds for hope. Promising new antibiotics targeting critical
pathogens have recently reached the market, including treatments designed to
address some of the most dangerous resistant infections affecting vulnerable
patients. Yet the pipeline remains fragile, investment is slowing, and far
too many people still lack timely access to appropriate treatment.
Innovation must be matched by responsible manufacturing, stewardship, and
sustainable access strategies from the outset.
The battle against superbugs can still be tilted in humanitys favour. But
time is not on our side.
This years Benchmark sets out practical opportunities for companies to
strengthen how they develop, manufacture and ensure access to antibiotics,
and makes clear where faster action is needed. Evidence shows what is
possible, but real progress depends on leadership and a willingness to act.
We are grateful to the partners who make this work possible and to those
ready to act on its findings.
To meet the needs of countless communities who require effective treatments
today and in the future, we must continue strengthening our research and
influence. If you are looking to support or advance how evidence drives
meaningful change for communities globally, I invite you to
mailto:jiyer@accesstomedicinefoundation.org.
Thank you for your engagement, and I wish you an inspired, healthy and happy
rest of the year.
Yours sincerely,
Jay Iver