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FAO publishes new plan to counter antimicrobial resistance
The silent global threat of antimicrobial resistance ( AMR ) highly impacts the agri-food sector , QU Dongyu , Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations ( FAO ) warned today while presenting FAO ’ s new five-year plan to help Members tackle the challenge .
AMR ’ s impacts can lead to “ economic losses , decline in livestock production , poverty , hunger and malnutrition – particularly in low and middle-income countries ,” Dongyu said in opening remarks at an information webinar on the topic hosted by FAO as part of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week .
Bacteria , fungi and other microbes can and do , when subject to repeated exposure to antibiotics and other antimicrobials , become resistant to treatments meant to kill or suppress them , rendering the drugs ineffective and raising the spectre of uncontrollable ‘ superbugs . Around 700 000 human deaths each year are related to AMR and the number may soar to 10 million by 2050 without action to mitigate the risks .
AMR is a particular risk for agriculture – the livestock sector is the primary user of antimicrobials – as misuse or overuse generates resistance that decimates animals and the livelihoods dependent on them . Antimicrobials are also used on crops – notably rice and tomatoes – and in aquaculture to prevent output losses .
“ The availability of life saving , effective drugs is essential in animal and crop production ,” the Director-General said . “ Effective AMR control is the shared responsibility of producers , consumers , investors and policy makers across agrifood systems by good examples and best practices ,” Dongyu added .
FAO is also working with its partners to establish – with the help of hundreds of inputs from around the world – an AMR Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform , to be operational in 2022 and assure that all aspects and all levels of the AMR threat spectrum are addressed .
NEW AMR ACTION PLAN A new document : FAO Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2021-2025 , will be a guide for FAO ’ s support to its members . It notes that because resistant microbes cross borders , a global effort is the only way to assure everyone is protected . Among its key principles are the need for science-based evidence to identify and manage AMR risks before they become large-scale emergencies , the utility of surveillance and training around the world , the importance of incentivising and empowering stakeholders to transform awareness of AMR risks into action .
The overriding goal of AMR actions now is not to eradicate the use of antimicrobials but to preserve their utility , especially as the amount of food produced for humans in the next 30 years will be the same as produced in the last 10 000 years combined . “ We need to keep antimicrobials working for as long as possible to buy time for new drug discovery ,” the plan states .
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All images by FAO
The Action Plan follows a one health approach and points to various possible improvements in agriculture practices to better control AMR , from good nutrition for people and animals , vaccination , hygiene , sanitation , and genetics , among other areas . Another key focus is in managing waste , as antimicrobials discharged from humans and animals as well as hospitals and abattoirs can enter the environment and speed up the emergence and spread of resistant strains and genes . The plan calls for more AMR-related research and surveillance in the crop , aquaculture , and environment sectors .
FAO has already helped more than 40 low and middle-income countries develop and implement national action plans for AMR . It also facilitates access to resources and technical networks and has developed a set of tools to assist countries to broaden their action to more food and agriculture sectors .
“ FAO is applying modern science and technology , and developing innovative approaches to help Members face new challenges and make agri-food systems MORE efficient , inclusive , resilient and sustainable ,” the Director-General said .
REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FAO conferences in 2015 and 2019 underscored the importance and urgency of addressing the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance ( AMR ) in all countries through a coordinated approach in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development .
They highlighted that access to effective antimicrobials and their appropriate and prudent use has a role in productive and sustainable agriculture and aquaculture – and that their misuse contributes to the rising rates of AMR which negatively impacts the advances made in medicine , public health , veterinary care , food and agriculture production systems , and food safety .
The conferences highlighted also that access to effective antimicrobial agents constitutes a prerequisite for productive and sustainable agriculture , particularly animal husbandry and aquaculture and safe food , on which countless livelihoods depend throughout the world , but that hard-won gains in animal and human health and development are at risk due to increasing resistance to antimicrobials .
Contributing towards the goal of building resilience in the food and agriculture sectors by limiting the emergence and spread of AMR depends on controlling AMR effectively as a shared responsibility among farmers , herders , growers , fishers , prescribers and policymakers in food and agriculture – as well as other sectors .
Preventive action will provide an economic benefit , especially when
The Food and Agricultural Organisation has released a new action plan on antimicrobial resistance .
Figure 1 : Effective control of AMR requires coordinated effort to meet all five objectives , in every country . Buying more time for drug discovery and keeping antimicrobials working for as long as we can depends on multi-sectoral initiatives for responsible AMU , as well as better practices that reduce the risk of infection and the need for treatment . The success of these initiatives depends on good governance , evidence and surveillance and effective advocacy and behaviour change programmes . compared to the considerable percent of GDP expected to be lost if AMR is permitted to develop into a global emergency through the widespread failure of medicines . The availability and use of effective antimicrobials is essential for the health and welfare of terrestrial and aquatic animals , and in crop production .
The overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in animal and plant production is influenced by an interplay of factors . These serve as targets for action to address challenges ranging from : i . treatment failures driving production losses and food insecurity ; to ii . the impacts on human health .
Once individuals become carriers of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms , they can easily spread AMR among communities and across borders . AMR can also reach the general population by spilling over into agriculture products and the environment , contaminating waterways , wildlife , and soil .
Given the global interconnected web of transmission , a multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary approach is critical to the success of National Action Plans ( NAPs ) for delivering on the Global Action Plan on AMR ( GAP ; WHO , 2015 ). This FAO Action Plan on AMR 2021 – 2025 sets out the five objectives that guide the programming of FAO activities . The latter will be amended as needed to reflect progress , new challenges , and available resources .
The action plan principally is intended to help guide FAO ’ s support to its members to build capacities and is not a policy document . The Action Plan provides for flexibility to respond to members ’ requests and participation of members in activities indicated is voluntary . The activities and support provided under the Action Plan will be guided by the latest developments in science , international guidance , and standards .
The five key objectives ( Figure 1 ) to help focus efforts and accelerate progress are : 1 . Increasing stakeholder awareness and engagement 2 . Strengthening surveillance and research 3 . Enabling good practices 4 . Promoting responsible use of antimicrobials 5 . Strengthening governance and allocating resources sustainably
The Action Plan also includes a results chain and a detailed list of key activities to help guide the development and deployment of NAPs to meet FAO members ’ needs . FAO brings expertise in aquatic and terrestrial animal health and production , food and feed safety , genetic resources , crop production , natural resource management , risk communication and behavioural change .
FAO also supports regulatory frameworks , standards , target-setting , norm-setting , and bottom-up processes of collective action . FAO ’ s support to tackle AMR has gained momentum . This needs to be maintained and accelerated in order to coordinate the global response for food and agriculture . CLA
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