November 27, 2020, SEOUL, Korea -- The International Vaccine Institute (IVI), the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS), and the Embassy of Denmark in Korea will co-host a free webinar to share strategic reflections and insights for advancing national prevention/control policies and plans against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Webinar participants will further discuss how efforts to implement National Action Plans can still progress despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The webinar, with speeches from the Ministers of Health of Korea and Denmark and the Danish Ambassador to Korea, will be a valuable opportunity for anyone interested in AMR and its impact on global health security. A diverse panel of experts will address this important topic, highlighting what must be done to prevent the further spread of this "silent pandemic."
Prof. Sabiha Essack from the University of KwaZulu-Natal will moderate the webinar with talks by Prof. Dame Sally Davies (UK Special Envoy on AMR) and Dr. Hanan H. Balkhy (Assistant Director-General for AMR, WHO).
Other speakers include a panel of experts:
- - Dr. Marianne Holm, Head of Epidemiology and Public Health Research, IVI
- Julhas Sujan, Project Country Coordinator Bangladesh, IVI
- Dr. Robert Skov, Scientific Director, ICARS
- Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy, Deputy Director General, Department of Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam
The final reflection will be offered by Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI.
"All eyes are on COVID-19, but we need to also focus on what we know will be the next pandemic: multidrug-resistant bacteria. I am pleased that the Danish government decided to launch the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS), and I am pleased that also the Korean-based International Vaccine Institute (IVI) has a strong focus on combating one of the greatest threats to health, society and economies," said H.E. Einar Jensen, Ambassador of Denmark to Korea.
"It is urgent that context-specific solutions to tackle AMR are developed. It is important that these solutions are owned and led by low- and middle-income countries, in partnership with the global community, while building on existing initiatives. As such, I am very pleased to come together with our co-hosts and speakers from around the world to discuss ways to do this in practice. I am also happy to extend our Invitation to Partner to countries and foundations who wish to join our efforts." said Dr. Robert Skov, Scientific Director at ICARS.
"AMR is an urgent and growing global health crisis which requires transparent, coordinated, and decisive action across countries. We're delighted to host this conversation with ICARS and the Danish Embassy in Korea to address the current gaps in available quality data and what it will take to affect meaningful change in antimicrobial use, consumption, and resistance, particularly in low- and middle-income countries," said Dr. Marianne Holm, Senior Research Scientist at IVI and webinar panelist.
The webinar is open to all, and participants are encouraged to submit questions to the panelists on the registration page.
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About the International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is a nonprofit inter-governmental organization established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, IVI was the first international organization hosted by Korea. IVI has 36 signatory countries and the World Health Organization (WHO) on its treaty, including Korea, Sweden, India, and Finland as state funders.
Our mandate is to make vaccines available and accessible for the world's most vulnerable people. We focus on infectious diseases of global health importance such as cholera, typhoid, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, Group A Strep, Hepatitis A, HPV, TB, HIV, MERS, COVID-19, as well as antimicrobial resistance. For more information, please visit https://www.ivi.int
About the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS)
ICARS is an Implementation Research partnership that conducts independent, policy-relevant, applied research at international, national and local levels in low- and middle income countries to identify evidence-based solutions for fighting resistance to antimicrobials. It works in close collaboration with governments, research communities and key stakeholders to create context-specific interventions and test solutions for lowering resistance to antibiotics. ICARS was born at the initiative of the World Bank and the Danish Government and is based in Copenhagen. ICARS is expected to become an independent international institution in 2021 and is seeking Founding Members to fulfill its mission. http://www.icars-global.org
About the Embassy of Denmark in Korea
The Embassy's main task is to further enhance and strengthen the longstanding bilateral relations between Korea and Denmark through cooperation at the government and political level, by promoting trade and economic relations and through cultural activities. A strategic partnership sets the frame around our cooperation.
The Embassy supports the bilateral collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea and the Ministry of Health of Denmark on health issues, with AMR being one of the prioritized areas. Korea and Denmark's collaboration also extends to the Green Growth Alliance, which shows a strong mutual commitment to promoting bilateral cooperation within the areas of sustainable growth and development. For more information, please visit: https://sydkorea.um.dk/en/
CONTACT
IVI
Aerie Em, Global Communications & Media Specialist
+82 2 881 1386 | aerie.em@ivi.int
ICARS
Georgiana Baciu, Communications Officer
+45 23 49 98 51 | gsb@icars-global.org
Embassy of Denmark in Korea
Seong Ah Lee, Senior Public Diplomacy Officer
+82 2 6363 4810 | seolee@um.dk
Nina Monrad Boel, Health Counsellor
+82 2 6363 4800 | ninboe@um.dk