Addressing the growing pandemic of drug-resistant bacterial infections by expanding sustainable access to antibiotics for countries and populations in need (pre-pilot programme of the SECURE initiative)

The lack of equitable access to essential life-saving antibiotics jeopardizes our ability to not only treat and control infectious diseases but also achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals' pledge to leave no one behind.

The unchecked growth of drug-resistant infections is a growing pandemic with long- term implications for global public health as it can affect anyone, of any age in any country.

The SECURE project will be developed to address this challenge by facilitating access to key essential antibiotics, which are not widely accessible, for countries and populations in need, while ensuring their appropriate use.

The goal is to provide long-term strategic guidance to help countries reduce mortality due to bacterial infections by ensuring access to a portfolio of antibiotics that address public health needs. A pilot phase will be launched to learn and finetune the SECURE model to ensure greater success with global rollout.

A diverse set of countries with different challenges will be enrolled in the 4-year pilot programme to inform the adaptation of the model. This approach will ensure the sustainability, flexibility and scalability of the full SECURE programme. The objective of the proposal is to prepare the launch of the pilot phase and ensure its financing.