GARDP welcomes statement by G20 groups on growing threats to health security

4 March 2020

The Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) today welcomed the statement issued by the G20 Engagement Groups on global pandemic preparedness, which calls on G20 leaders to step up their response to growing threats to health security, including the recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and antimicrobial resistance.

The G20 Engagement Groups, which represent the business community (B20), civil society (C20), labor unions (L20), think tanks (T20), women (W20) and youth (Y20), urge G20 governments to work with partners, including civil society organizations and affected communities, to reinforce global outbreak response capacity, strengthen health systems and accelerate research and development.

“The outbreak of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 has highlighted the urgency in accelerating research and development to develop new tools for prevention, diagnosis and treatment,” said Dr Manica Balasegaram, Executive Director of GARDP. “G20 governments have a critical role to play in ensuring that threats to health security are effectively tackled. Investing now in the technologies and treatments we need will avoid us paying a premium in years to come when outbreaks of emerging infections and spread of drug-resistant pathogens will inevitably occur.”

GARDP is calling on the international community and G20 countries to support and finance the delivery of five new treatments by 2025 to fight the drug-resistant infections that pose the greatest threat to global health and economic security.

The new treatments GARDP is developing are focused on the drug-resistant bacteria identified by WHO as urgent priorities and requiring new antibiotics. This includes developing treatments for babies with sepsis, young children, sexually transmitted infections and serious bacterial infections in hospitalized adults. GARDP is seeking €500 million to develop these treatments and support its 5 BY 25 goal.