Readout of Secretary Azar’s First Day at the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly

Yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar traveled to New York City to participate in the first-ever United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on the fight against tuberculosis (TB), convened by the UNGA at its 73rd session.

Secretary Azar participated in several bilateral meetings. He met with Health Minister Jane Aceng of Uganda where he acknowledged Uganda’s strong collaborative efforts in preventing and responding to infectious disease threats, including preparedness activities in response to the recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Next, Secretary Azar met with Health Minister Silvia Pessah of Peru to discuss the public health concerns in the region and to better understand the current impact in their country. Secretary Azar expressed his gratitude for the commitment they share with the U.S. to address anti-microbial resistance (AMR).

Later in the day, Secretary Azar met with representatives of the European Union to discuss efforts to fight AMR and President Trump’s commitment to lower prescription drug prices in the United States. Secretary Azar then met with South Africa Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to affirm the U.S. commitment to assisting in HIV treatment through the President’s Emergency Action Plan for Aids Relief. They discussed the importance of intellectual property rights in fighting TB and talked about past collaborations in biomedical and behavioral health research between the United States and South Africa.

In the evening, Secretary Azar delivered remarks at a CDC Foundation Corporate Roundtable reception on U.S. support for the Global Health Security Agenda and our commitment to fighting AMR. He then proceeded to his final bilateral meeting of the day, with the World Health Organization, to discuss global health security, pandemic preparedness, and a path forward for improving global public health.

Secretary Azar concluded his day with remarks announcing a new yearlong challenge to fight AMR at the CDC Foundation’s “The AMR Challenge: Launch Event and One Health Solutions Showcase.”