In this episode of the Global Health Histories podcast, Sanjoy Bhattacharya speaks to Jeremy Knox from the Wellcome Trust and Suranga Dolamulla from Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health to discuss antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Jeremy highlights his policy work on AMR, emphasising the economic impact and the need for global policy actions. Suranga shares his clinical and research experience, noting the long-standing issue of antibiotic efficacy and the broader implications of AMR beyond clinical settings.

The discussion covers the definition and historical context of AMR, its drivers such as overuse of antibiotics, and the challenges in tackling it, including complexity, cost, and stakeholder resistance. The guests stress the importance of national action plans, international collaboration, and the role of civil society in raising awareness and supporting community initiatives. They also discuss the WHO's leadership, the need for new antibiotics, rapid diagnostics, alternative therapies, and vaccination programs. The episode concludes with a call for a participatory approach involving WHO, governments, and communities to effectively manage AMR.

Centre for Global Health Histories

https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-groups/1880/centre-for-global-health-histories

WHO - Antimicrobial resistance

https://www.who.int/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance

Wellcome Trust - Antimicrobial resistance: it's time for global action

https://wellcome.org/our-priorities/infectious-disease/antimicrobial-resistance

Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists - National Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System in Sri Lankan

WHO - Sri Lanka: National Strategic Plan for Combating Antimicrobial Resistance 2023-2028

This episode of the Global Health Histories Podcast features a conversation between Sanjoy Bhattacharya (Head of the School of History and Professor of Medical and Global Heath Histories at the University of Leeds) and Dr. Suranga Dolamulla, focusing on the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) and how it is being implemented in Sri Lanka. Dr. Dolamulla, Director of Laboratory Services and the Medical Research Institute at the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka, discusses the country's efforts and challenges in reducing tobacco use. The podcast highlights Sri Lanka's proactive stance in tobacco control and its significant contributions to global health initiatives.

The Internationalisation of Tobacco Control, 1950-2010 by David Reubi & Virginia Berridge (Cambridge University Press)

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/medical-history/article/internationalisation-of-tobacco-control-19502010/F3C0B3C0ABDCD14041627808828ABD43

The first episode of The Global Health Histories Podcast , hosted by Sanjoy Bhattacharya (Head of the School of History and Professor of Medical and Global Heath Histories at the University of Leeds) features a discussion on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first international treaty negotiated under the WHO's Article 19 powers. Speakers include Kate Lannan (senior lawyer at the WHO FCTC Secretariat), Doug Bettcher (senior advisor to the WHO Director-General), Hebe Gouda (epidemiologist leading the WHO global tobacco epidemic report), and Alison Commar (demographer monitoring global tobacco prevalence). They highlight the FCTC's role in reducing global tobacco use, with adult prevalence dropping from 33% in 2000 to 21% in 2022, and discuss the MPOWER technical package, which outlines effective tobacco control measures. The conversation also addresses ongoing challenges, such as tobacco industry interference, and emphasises the need for continued global collaboration, enforcement of tobacco control policies, and civil society support to combat the tobacco epidemic, which still claims 8 million lives annually. In 2025, its 20th year the FCTC is celebrated as a vital tool for public health, environmental protection, and economic sustainability.

Additional links

Centre for Global Health Histories

https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-groups/1880/centre-for-global-health-histories

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

https://fctc.who.int/

The Internationalisation of Tobacco Control, 1950-2010 by David Reubi & Virginia Berridge (Cambridge University Press)

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/medical-history/article/internationalisation-of-tobacco-control-19502010/F3C0B3C0ABDCD14041627808828ABD43