New York, 26 September 2024

Mr. President,

         The Holy See welcomes the holding of this High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance. The Declaration adopted today expresses political commitments which must be followed by timely action at all levels to combat anti-microbial resistance (AMR) and prevent its potentially devastating consequences.

         The response to AMR necessarily involves numerous sectors, not only medicine but also those involving animals and the environment. This reflects what Pope Francis has called an “integral ecology”, which “is inseparable from the common good”[1] and requires responsible stewardship of the environment and care for all living creatures. Human beings are preeminent among living creatures,[2] and therefore human wellbeing must be the overarching goal of all efforts to combat AMR.

         Prevention of infectious diseases is key to tackling AMR. This necessitates the development of vaccines and the promotion of hygiene practices. Many poor communities lack the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities.  However, there are many valuable efforts in these areas which should be supported. In 2020 the Dicastery for Integral Human Development launched an initiative that has already facilitated improvements in WASH conditions in Catholic healthcare facilities across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

Mr. President,

         As Pope Francis has said, if we do not commit to overcoming inequalities in healthcare, “we are de facto accepting the painful reality that not all lives are equal and health is not protected for everyone in the same way.”[3] Poor patients cannot be excluded from necessary, adequate and affordable treatment regimens, or expected to practice good hygiene without clean water[4] — problems which also contribute to antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, to effectively combat AMR, poverty and its consequences, including lack of access to healthcare and inadequate living conditions, must be addressed.

Mr. President,

         Much work remains to be done to tackle AMR, and to promote policies and resources needed to ensure “each person’s fundamental right to basic and decent healthcare. Health is not a luxury! A world that discards the sick, that does not assist those who cannot afford care, is a cynical world without a future.”[5]

Thank you.

[1] Pope Francis, Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, 24 May 2015, 156.

[2] Cf. ibid. 90 and 118.

[3] Pope Francis, Address to participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, 27 September 2021.  

[4] Cf. ibid.

[5] Pope Francis, Address to the National Federation of the Associations of Medical Radiology Health Technicians and Technical, Rehabilitation and Prevention Health Professions, 16 January 2023.