India on Saturday proposed a comprehensive approach aimed at improving antimicrobial resistance (AMR) detection and surveillance capacities across sectors, enabling the use of data to guide evidence-based antimicrobial usage at both local and national levels.

Speaking at the 4th Ministerial High-level Global Conference on AMR in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare ,Anupriya Patel, said AMR is a global health threat which requires urgent action through ‘One Health’ approach that fosters cooperation across human, animal, and plant health, as well as environmental and other relevant sectors.

Outlining a set of practical steps to implement the commitments made in the UNGA political declaration on AMR, she emphasised the importance of strengthening surveillance, fostering collaboration, and addressing critical barriers to antimicrobial access.

The minister said India’s proposals include prioritising sustainable financing and research investments to enhance governance in the fight against AMR, as well as establishing clear accountability frameworks for effective governance.

She said India also supports the creation of the AMR Multi-partner Trust Fund and the establishment of an Independent Panel on Evidence for Action against AMR by the quadripartite organisations in 2025.

“India also stresses the importance of addressing barriers to the access and affordability of antimicrobials, diagnostics, and vaccines in developing nations, especially in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). One key solution proposed is the establishment of local or regional manufacturing hubs and the strengthening of regulatory mechanisms to ensure equitable access”, she said.

The Minister emphasised the need for capacity building in statistical modeling to calculate baseline rates of AMR-related deaths, helping member states track progress towards the global target of reducing AMR-related deaths by 10 per cent as committed in the UNGA political declaration.

She said that the factors contributing to AMR vary across countries and regions, and therefore, actions must be tailored to the local context to effectively address the challenge.

Ms Patel said India remains committed to supporting global efforts in combating AMR while ensuring that solutions are context-specific and sustainable.

The ‘Jedda Commitments’ issued at the 4th High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR resolved to translate the Political Declaration from the UNGA HLM on AMR into practical commitments for urgent action inter alia committing to create national AMR multi-sectoral coordinating bodies respecting the multipronged One-Health challenges.