Reaffirming UK Leadership on Antimicrobial Resistance – A Pragmatic Proposition

Following the AMR APPG meeting in September—At a Crossroads: Sustaining UK Leadership on Antimicrobial Resistance—the AMR APPG has published a proposition to Government setting out four practical steps to maintain and strengthen the UK’s global leadership on AMR.

Hon. Dr Chris Kalila MP from Zambia, Chair of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, a distinguished medical doctor and long-serving parliamentarian whose frontline healthcare experience has shaped his commitment to strengthening health systems and tackling infectious diseases, and Hon. Ummy Mwalimu MP from Tanzania, Member of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance and two-time Minister of Health of the United Republic of Tanzania, helped craft the AMR APPG’s proposition note, which sets out the following strategic calls to action:

1. Ringfence targeted AMR development funding to support the responsible transition of Fleming Fund infrastructure to country ownership and protect progress in surveillance, workforce capacity, and health system resilience. A bilateral approach is essential to preserve visibility, continuity, and UK strategic influence.
2. Push the Global Fund to expand its ambition on AMR as part of its evolving strategy on health systems and pandemic preparedness. The UK should champion AMR as a strategic priority, ensuring dedicated investment and accountability for AMR-specific outcomes across disease areas and health systems.
3. Leverage UK excellence in healthcare workforce training to prioritise technical assistance and education for AMR workforce development. Scalable, UK-led initiatives—such as stewardship training and expert exchanges—can deliver high-impact bilateral investments and strengthen global and domestic preparedness.
4. Commit to hosting the Global AMR Ministerial Meeting in 2028 to mark the centenary of penicillin discovery and reaffirm UK leadership, galvanise global action, and showcase UK science and innovation. Hosting would signal continued commitment to AMR as a strategic priority.

These proposals reflect a pragmatic path forward—one that protects progress, responds to fiscal realities, and leverages UK strengths to deliver lasting global impact.

Read the full proposition note here.