IDSA at the World Health Assembly
IDSA advanced global health priorities at the 72nd World Health Assembly, May 20-28, in Geneva. IDSA presented statements during floor debate on the issues of public health emergency preparedness response, climate change and health, and follow up on United Nations high level meetings on antimicrobial resistance and eliminating tuberculosis.
IDSA members were also spotlighted at WHA side events. Peter Hotez, MD, spoke at an event hosted by the United States and over a dozen other nations to address vaccine hesitancy and its impact on the spread of measles and other vaccine preventable diseases. Health leaders from the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Romania discussed efforts to improve science literacy, work with social media to combat the spread of misinformation about vaccines, and additional efforts to improve vaccination rates.
IDSA member Ravina Kullar, PharmD, FIDSA, spoke at an event hosted by the Global Antimicrobial Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) and shared the story of a patient she lost to a multidrug resistant infection. Speakers from WHO, Wellcome Trust and multiple country governments debated policy options for strengthening the antibiotic pipeline.
For more information on ID priorities at WHA, visit IDSA’s global health Science Speaks blog.