A coalition of public and private sector organisations has launched an initiative to galvanise investors to tackle the issue of antimicrobial resistance. The Investor Year of Action on AMR is backed by the UN-Supported Principles for Responsible Investment, FAIRR, the Access to Medicine Foundation and the UK Department of Health and Social Care.

The main objective of the Investor Year of Action is to leverage investor influence to make change happen. The financial sector sits at the top of the investment chain and can positively change behaviour if it aligns with international standards and guidelines such as the WHO Global Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance. During this year-long initiative, investors will be encouraged to assess and integrate risks, opportunities and impacts.

The £15trn FAIRR network has enabled investors to convince 20 large restaurant chains and the wider the food sector for better standards of antibiotic stewardship. The Investor Statement of the Access to Medicine Index is signed by over a hundred institutional investors, collectively managing assets of more than £10trn

The initiative was launched at an affiliated session of the World Economic Forum, held in Davos.

Fiona Reynolds, chief executive of PRI said: “The World Bank believes AMR could cause greater economic damage than the 2008 financial crisis, potentially decreasing global annual GDP by up to 3.8% by 2050. If investors fail to take action on antimicrobial resistance, the public health consequences could be catastrophic and entire sectors from food to pharmaceuticals face industry wide risk. The investor year of action on AMR is a timely and important initiative that capital markets cannot afford to ignore.”

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