FAO-OIE-WHO One Health approach to AMR mitigation and safer food in the Asia-Pacific Region

Overview

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a globally important public health issue that is driven by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobial agents in human health, animal health and food production. Hence, management of AMR is complex, requiring concerted and coordinated actions across multiple sectors, including agricultural and animal production, food processing, human health and environment. Effective monitoring and surveillance systems, which track the use of antimicrobials, antimicrobial residues and the spread of AMR through food chains, are required but remain a challenge for developing countries in South-East Asia.

The Global Action Plan for containment of AMR, endorsed by the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly in 2015, demands a multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach at the human-animal-environment interface, using a One Health approach. Most countries have developed AMR national action plans, but effective implementation and multisectoral collaboration for containment of AMR and drivers of AMR are still a concern.

A webinar, titled “The FAO-OIE-WHO One Health approach to AMR mitigation and safer food in the Asia-Pacific Region”, was conducted on 29–30 September 2021 to advocate with national authorities to enhance multisectoral collaboration and promote responsible and prudent use of antimicrobial agents in agricultural production. The webinar was coordinated and hosted by the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia in collaboration with Tripartite partners, FAO and OIE.

The meeting provided updates on capacity-building activities, carried out by FAO, OIE and WHO in the Asia-Pacific Region, as well as on OIE international standards and the progress made by FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission on the revision of the Code of Practice to Minimize and Contain Antimicrobial Resistance (2005) across the entire food chain and the development of “Guidelines on integrated monitoring and surveillance of foodborne antimicrobial resistance”.

This was a pre-workshop tripartite webinar as the ninth Asia-Pacific Workshop on Multisectoral Collaboration at the Animal-Human-Ecosystems Interface was planned in December 2021 and the outcome of this webinar was presented during the workshop.

During a panel discussion on the second day, country officials shared their perspectives on key issues with regard to containing AMR in the food chain at the national level. They proposed mechanisms to bring multiple sectors together to tackle AMR as well as suggestions to incentivize farmers to adopt good agricultural practices related to AMR containment, and make curbing AMR a priority on the way forward.

The meeting had 486 participants from 50 countries, representing all continents, including 57 from the South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions. Most were from national governments, with additional participants from international organizations, academia, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector.

Countries were encouraged to establish functional national AMR multisectoral coordinating groups to provide oversight for the implementation of national action plans (NAP), review data and evidence, propose policy changes and help mobilize additional resources to address AMR in all sectors. This recommendation was supported by the results of the Tripartite AMR Country Self-Assessment (TrACSS), 2019–20. It was also recommended ix that support sectors, such as plant health, food production, environment and water, be involved in order to enhance their participation in AMR mitigation efforts.

More emphasis on monitoring and strengthening the enforcement of regulations on the prescription and use of antimicrobials in all sectors and safe disposal of antimicrobial residues in the environment was required. There is an urgent need to strengthen AMR surveillance and monitoring systems for antimicrobial consumption and use in all sectors and to use the data for policy-making and action.

The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) organized annually provides a platform to expand education and awareness among a broader group of stakeholders, beyond human and animal health. The extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) Tricycle Protocol was developed for One Health surveillance of AMR, which should be adapted and implemented at the national level.