World leaders pledge action on antimicrobial resistance

World leaders have pledged to tackle the problem of antimicrobial resistance in a declaration signed at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

This is only the fourth time that world leaders have discussed a health matter at the assembly—having held special sessions on HIV, non-communicable diseases, and Ebola in the past—and it was described by Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization, before the meeting as a “historic occasion.”

“We are here together with many partners but more importantly all the countries in the world to look at this important issue. Antimicrobial resistance is a slow motion tsunami for development, especially the health sector,” she said.

The declaration said that …