Geneva, 24 May 2024 – The Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP) welcomes the publication of the Lancet Series on Sustainable Access to Effective Antibiotics. This landmark series marks a crucial step in highlighting the urgent need for coordinated global action to combat antibiotic resistance and ensure sustainable access and use of these life-saving drugs. Children under the age of five and newborns are particularly at risk, making up one in five of deaths caused by drug resistance, and up to 3 million newborns develop serious bacterial infections that lead to sepsis every year.   

As part of its mission to accelerate the development of new and effective antibiotic treatments for drug-resistant bacterial infections, and improve global access to them, GARDP is committed to reducing deaths and suffering from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and addressing the misuse of antibiotics in both human and animal health.  

The goals set out in the Lancet Series, of achieving a 10% reduction in deaths from antibiotic resistance, a 20% reduction in inappropriate human antibiotic use, and a 30% reduction in inappropriate animal antibiotic use by 2030, underscore the scale of the challenge we face. Investment in research and development (R&D) that results in affordable, accessible antibiotics will be key to this. 

GARDP’s unique public-private partnership model will also be essential. Through its creation of an antibiotic development ecosystem that places public health needs at its centre, our integrated approach to R&D and access, and use of innovative licensing agreements and global partnerships, make the development of affordable and accessible treatments possible. 

In the run up to the United Nations High-Level Meeting on AMR in September, the Lancet series provides valuable insights and recommendations that will bolster efforts towards achieving these goals. Together with our partners, GARDP will continue to advocate for Member States to support not-for-profit antibiotic R&D and for sustainable access to effective antibiotics as a critical contribution to broader efforts to combat the growing threat posed by AMR.