Prince William is attending a landmark event on the vital issue of tackling antimicrobial resistance.

The Prince of Wales using hand sanitiser during an event at the Royal Society in London, to celebrat (Image: PA)

Prince William has called for unity and action on tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at a landmark event at The Royal Society in central London that is celebrating global efforts on the issue.

The Prince of Wales, who is Patron of the appeal to create The Fleming Initiative, has spoken about the issue for the first time and warned that AMR “threatens our health, our environment, our livelihoods and our future.”

He said: “It is indiscriminate – affecting all countries and all income levels. And we know that poverty and inequality intensify its reach, with poorer parts of the world particularly vulnerable.

“It makes infections harder to treat, increasing the risk of disease spreading, and making medical procedures and treatments much riskier.

“There is an urgent need for new measures to access new and existing vaccines, diagnostics and medicines.”

“We stand at a critical juncture where the interconnections between drug resistance, climate change and environmental degradation cannot be ignored.

It is an issue that the heir has care about passionately for a number of years following a conversation with Dame Sally Davies (former Chief Medical Officer and now UK Special Envoy on AMR).

William’s work with both Search and Rescue and the Air Ambulance showed him the vital importance of antibiotics and what a danger resistance could be in the future.

As one of the biggest global threats we currently face, the movement against AMR was something that he wanted to support which is why he became Patron of the appeal to create The Fleming Initiative last July. The royal hopes to help raise awareness of the issue among the general public.

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Antimicrobial resistance occurs when the microbes that cause infections develop resistance to treatments such as antibiotics and as a result infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, disability, and death.

In 2019, antimicrobial resistance was associated with approximately 5 million global deaths a year, and this is set to rise to 10 million caused directly by 2050, with the global economic cost calculated to be 100 trillion USD.

Hosted jointly by the Government and The Royal Society, the event is showcasing the latest scientific and economic research into antimicrobial resistance, celebrate citizen and civil society campaigns to raise awareness of the issue and give a platform to thought leaders.

It will be attended by Ministers from the Commonwealth and around the world, representatives from UN organisations and antimicrobial resistance champions.

During the event, survivors of antimicrobial resistance will speak of their experiences and Lord Darzi will give an update on The Fleming Initiative which will include a Centre located at St. Mary’s Hospital in London and a global network which will drive a worldwide movement to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

Last July, The Prince became Patron of the appeal to establish the Initiative.

In the evening, William will host a private reception at St. James’ Palace for those who have attended the daytime.