Political will, action needed to prevent anti-microbial resistance: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said sustained political will and action are needed to prevent the anti-microbial resistance from turning into a big crisis.

“AMR is a problem that can turn into a crisis. It can cost millions of lives worldwide. We need sustained political will and action to prevent it from happening,” she said.

So, there is no alternative to creating mass awareness about AMR, she added.

The prime minister made these remarks at the outset of breakfast meeting on Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) at Lexington Hotel in New York.

From this Global Leadership Group, she said that they have been working on highlighting the issue and it is evident that more needs to be done.

“The strategic priorities are well identified. We have to make sure that they are duly implemented. They need to be anchored in a ‘One Health’ approach,” she added.

Mentioning that nearly 150 countries already have their National Action Plans on AMR, Sheikh Hasina said “Meaningful support is needed to implement them in low and middle income countries.”

She said AMR should gain prominence in international development cooperation and the Multi-Partner Trust Fund, set up in 2019, can be the preferred instrument. “A robust investment case for AMR needs to be made at global and national levels”, she added.

Surveillance is key to understanding the AMR burden and response to it, the Prime Minister said adding that from Bangladesh, they have been reporting to GLASS Platform since 2019.

She continued that engagement of all concerned stakeholders is a must and a patient-centered approach remains critical. “Early diagnosis can be ensured through links with primary health care systems,” she added.

Mentioning that a major cause for concern is the lack of research and innovation of new AMR vaccines and other treatments, Sheikh Hasina said, “The private sector needs proper incentives for the purpose.”

There are risks for AMR to develop for some critical pathogens, she said, adding that the evidence and data gathered on this are quite eye-opening.

The head of government said there is no alternative to creating mass awareness about AMR and the annual global awareness week in November is a suitable occasion for that, she added.

Sheikh Hasina opined reporting on those indicators can help develop AMR policies affecting human health, animal health, food systems and the environment.

She hoped that this morning’s meeting is being held to create further political momentum against AMR and all wish to hear and benefit from expert’s thoughts and insights.

PM invites Biden to visit Bangladesh

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday evening attended a reception hosted by the US President Joe Biden.

The US president along with his wife hosted the event at American Museum of Natural History in honour of heads of state and heads of the government who came in New York to attend the 77th UN General Assembly.

“Mr and Mrs Biden warmly welcomed her (Sheikh Hasina) at the venue,” Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told reporters at the press briefing held at Lotte New York Palace hotel.

He said that the PM invited Biden to visit Bangladesh. He did not give details about the issues the two leaders discussed.

“Later I asked the prime minister. She replied yes we had discussed...I invited him to visit Bangladesh,” said Momen.

He said the US president asked PM Hasina whether it was her first participation in the UNGA. “Our prime minister replied that it is her 18th participation in the UNGA,” he said.

Padma Bridge exhibition

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday visited a photo exhibition on Padma Bridge at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

She visited the exhibition in the afternoon organised on the curved wall at level-1 of the United Nations Headquarters, Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary KM Shakhawat Moon said.

He informed that some foreign guests, including UN ECOSOC President Lachezara Stoeva, were present during the visit of prime minister.

“We’ve built Padma Bridge with our own funding. The building of the bridge was a challenge for us. The World Bank tried to blame us by bringing corruption allegation, but it was later proved that there was no corruption,” the prime minister told the foreign guests.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, Senior Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Prime Minister’s Office Senior Secretary Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah, among others, were present.

The exhibition opened on September 19, and it will continue till September 24. It has on display 25 photographs on the 6.15-km bridge.