FIND’s Intervention on Converging Crises: Antimicrobial Resistance and Adverse Weather Events in a Warming World at Plenary Session 2 of the 4th G20 HWG meeting

Delivered by Dr Ifedayo Adetifa
10 June 2025

FIND commends South Africa’s G20 Presidency for its focus on solidarity, equity, and sustainability as we confront two converging crises: antimicrobial resistance and climate change. Without urgent diagnostic-driven action, AMR could become the next major global health emergency, intensified by climate-induced outbreaks that strain already fragile health systems.

Diagnostics are central to tackling both challenges – they enable timely detection of resistant pathogens and guide appropriate treatment to curb antibiotics misuse. FIND is working globally to deliver affordable tools such as heat-stable blood culture systems, point-of-care STI tests, and neonatal sepsis diagnostics for use in the most resource-limited settings.

In line with the technical discussions, we urge the G20 to embed AMR within pandemic preparedness frameworks by leveraging existing laboratory networks, rapid testing systems, and surveillance platforms, while committing sustained financing to strengthen diagnostic infrastructure across all levels of care.

Equitable access must underpin every response. We call on G20 members to accelerate regulatory harmonization, incentivize regional manufacturing, and green the diagnostic supply chain by reducing plastics and toxic reagents. Locally driven innovation, through public-private partnerships, is essential to deliver affordable, climate-resilient diagnostics to the last mile.

As climate risks grow, so do vector-borne and zoonotic threats. Integrating climate data with diagnostics, deploying multiplex tools, and using AI-enabled early-warning systems can help pre-empt outbreaks. FIND is conducting a detailed review of the impact of climate change on diagnostics- essential to ensuring tools remain fit-for-purpose, effective, and accessible to the world’s most vulnerable. Blockchain-enabled, cross-border data sharing across One Health domains will be key to containment.

Chair, by mobilizing diagnostics across human, animal, and environmental sectors, the G20 can drive effective, equitable, and sustainable action. We urge this assembly to move from dialogue to decisive action to truly protect health and ensure global security.

Thank you.