20 September 2024 

Drug-resistant infections kill 1·14 million people every year, surpassing deaths caused by HIV/AIDS and malaria combined and making antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a leading global killer. The September, 2024 UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting (HLM) on AMR brings renewed attention to addressing this crisis. There are two key challenges: a paucity of new treatments to replace those lost to AMR and inadequate access to existing and new antibiotics. Despite progress in antibiotic innovation and access since the last UN General Assembly HLM on AMR in 2016, major gaps persist, especially in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where most AMR-related deaths occur. The 2024 HLM is a chance to reinforce the need for all countries to recognise that effective solutions address innovation and access together.