Prince William has given a speech on antimicrobial resistance today where he urged people to ‘act now’ to protect the next generation.
Just before the Prince of Wales entered the talk, located at the Royal Society in London, he stopped by the stand and pumped some hand sanitiser in a bid to kill any germs.
The future King, 41, beamed as he rubbed his hands together whilst having a conversation with those at the event.
The father-of-three looked dapper as he arrived in a black suit, paired with a crisp white shirt and a blue patterned tie.
The event was put on to celebrate global efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance and build stronger health systems, food security and climate resilience.
Prince William attended an event in London today about antimicrobial resistance
The father-of-three beamed as he rubbed his hands together whilst having a conversation with those at the event
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.
This can lead to an increasing risk of disease spreading, severe illness, disability, and death.
The Prince engaged with those who came to the meeting, greeting and shaking their hands.
William – who is Patron of the appeal to create The Fleming Initiative – delivered a short speech at the event.
He said: ‘As we have been hearing this morning, antimicrobial resistance threatens our health, our environment, our livelihoods and our future.
‘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.’
The father-of-three looked dapper as he arrived in a black suit, paired with a crisp white shirt and a blue patterned tie
The Prince sat down for the talk where survivors of the condition spoke about their experiences
William then went on to speak about the impact that microplastics in the ocean and global deforestation has on bacteria.
He said: ‘Rivers are polluted with antibiotics and oceans are filled with micro-plastics containing resistant bacteria.
‘Meanwhile deforestation is playing havoc with ecosystems facilitating the emergence of new infectious diseases.
‘Unless we act now and together, the ripple effects of drug resistance will be felt across generations, jeopardising the wellbeing of our children and our grandchildren.’
He went on to say that he was ‘hopeful’ because of the ‘efforts and expertise’ of those trying to help tackle the problem.
Prince William killed the germs on his hand by applying hand sanitiser at the event today
The smiley Prince engaged with those who came to the meeting, greeting and shaking their hands
William – who is Patron of the appeal to create The Fleming Initiative – delivered a short speech at the event
William also spoke of his excitement that a new Fleming Centre, in Paddington, would be opening in 2028.
He described it as a ‘place of collective action’ that will bring together world-class scientists, clinicians, behavioural researchers and policy makers to test solutions that will keep ‘global drug-resistant infections at bay.’
The future monarch ended his speech on a strong note and said: ‘Today, I call upon you once more to act.
‘To create a real legacy in 2024, for the sake of the millions affected by AMR now, and for the sake of the generations that will follow.’
During the event, survivors of antimicrobial resistance also spoke about their experiences of the condition.
In the evening, the Prince will also host a private reception at St. James’ Palace for those who attended the conference.
Ministers from the Commonwealth and around the world, representatives from UN organisations and antimicrobial resistance champions were at the event – the most significant global moment on antimicrobial resistance since 2016.
Last week, Prince William went to Cornwall to view a plot of land that he hopes to develop to help the homelessness crisis in the UK.
William, who is known as the Duke of Cornwall when in the county and took over the £1.2 billion Duchy of Cornwall estate when his father became King, is in the process of building its first ever housing project in Nansledan.
Announced earlier this year, the project will be delivered alongside Cornish charity, St Petrocs, and will provide 24 homes with wrap around support for local people experiencing homelessness.
Land for the homes will be provided by the Duchy of Cornwall which will also use its management expertise to guide the delivery of the project as a whole.
The Duchy of Cornwall is the ancient estate that provides public and private income for the heir to the throne.