Global panel to chart response to Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR)

Scientists, health officials, and policymakers from various countries have gathered in Lagos, Nigeria, to establish a new global science panel on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The panel, envisioned as the AMR equivalent of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), will guide global action against drug-resistant microbes. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist drugs used to treat them, turning common infections into deadly ones. The World Health Organization warns that without urgent action, AMR could cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050. The panel will provide robust, multi-sectoral evidence that can guide national strategies and international collaboration without duplicating existing efforts. The panel will go beyond technical assessments to help countries, especially in the Global South, translate evidence into policy.