Prince William Steps Out to Support Cause Connected to Hospital Where George, Charlotte and Louis Were Born

Prince William is leaving for a good cause.

On May 16, the Prince of Wales attended an event at the Royal Society in central London to celebrate research being done to combat antibiotic resistance. Prince William, 41, was filmed talking to other attendees at the event, which was held at the Royal Society’s Carlton House Terrace.

The Royal Family is sponsoring the appeal to create the Fleming Initiative, a global movement based at St. Mary, where his and Kate Middleton’s three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 — were born. Prince William and his brother Prince Harry were also born in the hospital.

The event — named The world is tackling the antibiotic emergency together — the co-hosts were His Majesty’s Government and the Royal Society. The “latest scientific and economic research on antimicrobial resistance” was highlighted, while citizen and civil society campaigns were also celebrated, according to the press release.

Prince William attends an event celebrating efforts to fight antibiotic resistance and build stronger health systems, food security and climate resilience at the Royal Society in London on May 16, 2024.

Yui Mok/Bazen via AP

The conference was also attended by representatives of United Nations organizations, ministers from the Commonwealth and around the world, and those who are committed to finding solutions to antimicrobial resistance. During the event, Prince William listened to survivors of antimicrobial resistance share their stories, before giving his own speech.

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“Unless we act now and together, the effects of drug resistance will be felt for generations, endangering the well-being of our children and grandchildren,” Prince William said in part. “However, I am hopeful. Thanks to the efforts and expertise of many people – including many in this room – we now have a better understanding of the scale of the AMR threat.”

Prince William attends an event celebrating efforts to fight antibiotic resistance and build stronger health systems, food security and climate resilience at the Royal Society in London on May 16, 2024.

Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

“It is clear that no one nation or sector can tackle AMR alone. So I am delighted to see representatives from so many countries here at this conference and I look forward to speaking with many of you later about your efforts to tackle tackle this vital problem,” said William, expressing hope that the Fleming Center to open in Paddington in 2028 “will bring together world-class scientists, clinicians, behavioral researchers and policy makers to scope, test and scale up solutions that will keep global drug-resistant infections at bay.”

“It will be a space with the public at its heart. And the Center will also be one of a network of Fleming Centers based in countries around the world. The vision is to focus global efforts on a global problem,” the Prince of Wales outlined.

Prince William attends an event celebrating efforts to fight antibiotic resistance and build stronger health systems, food security and climate resilience at the Royal Society in London on May 16, 2024.

Yui Mok/Bazen via AP

After the conference, Prince William hosted a private reception for those present at St. James.

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms that cause infections become resistant to antibiotics and antifungals, according to the Mayo Clinic. The problem is increasing due to the misuse of antibiotics in both humans and livestock. If no solution is found, drug-resistant microbes are estimated to cause about 10 million deaths a year by 2050.

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Prince William attends an event celebrating efforts to fight antibiotic resistance and build stronger health systems, food security and climate resilience at the Royal Society in London on May 16, 2024.

Yui Mok / POOL / AFP) (Photo by YUI MOK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

In July 2023, the Prince of Wales officially became patron of the appeal to launch The Fleming Centre. The center is scheduled to open in 2028 to coincide with the centenary of the discovery of penicillin, the first antibiotic.

At the time his patronage was first announced, Prince William and Princess Kate shared a statement on their official page x account, writing: “More than a million people die each year as a result of antimicrobial resistance. The Fleming Center will fuel a global movement to tackle this. Proud to sponsor the call for this vital center to educate, inspire and catalyze action to address of this problem.”

Prince George, Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Kate Middleton on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2022.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

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Kensington Palace added that the Fleming Initiative, which is responsible for building the centre, will educate the public about the issue through exhibitions, engagement activities and more.

“We hope that this transformative approach in Central London will act as a blueprint that can be shared and adapted to local contexts around the world,” the palace said at the time. “By becoming a Patron of the Call to Build the Centre, Prince William will support efforts over the next five years to make these ambitious plans to overcome global antimicrobial resistance a reality.”

Prince William’s arrival at the event comes after his two-day tour of Cornwall, where he visited a hospital and his housing project.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education