Good morning to all, it is a pleasure to deliver these remarks on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
Antimicrobial Resistance is a global health and development threat.
Globally, unless urgent action is taken, by 2050 AMR will be responsible for 10 million deaths annually at a cost of US$ 100 trillion.
If current trends continue, AMR could reduce the GDP of low-income countries by 5%, pushing up to 28 million people into poverty.
AMR already kills an estimated 700 000 people every year in what is a “slow tsunami” that is reducing the effectiveness of medicine and health care, impacting food security and safety, and impeding progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
AMR is a critical concern for human, animal and environmental health, including through the potential transfer of resistant genes in the food chain caused by misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in agriculture production.
The Global Action Plan on AMR, endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2015, highlights the need for countries and partners to take a multisectoral approach to addressing AMR, prioritizing action at the human-animal-environment interface – what is known as the One Health approach.
The Global Tripartite between WHO, the FAO and OIE is responsible for promoting, coordinating and facilitating One Health activities across the world, based on the Global Framework for Development & Stewardship to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance Roadmap.
Commendably, most low- and middle-income countries in the Asia Pacific, including all countries of the South-East Asia Region, have developed AMR National Action Plans.
But achieving full implementation continues to be a challenge.
To strengthen implementation capacity, the Tripartite’s Multi-Partner Trust Fund will continue to provide targeted support to low- and middle-income countries, including in the Asia Pacific.
Food systems are an increasing area of focus in the battle against AMR.
Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in agriculture production has implications not only for human and animal health, but also the environment.
As early as 2006, the Codex Alimentarius Commission established a first Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance.
The Task Force’s aim was to develop science-based guidance on how to assess and manage the risks to human health associated with the presence of antimicrobial resistant organisms in food and feed.
In 2017, an ad hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance was re-established in the context of the launch of the WHO Global Action Plan on AMR, and amid rising concern about AMR as a food trade issue.
At the recently concluded UN Food Systems Summit, the need to prevent and combat AMR was identified as a key cross-cutting issue, essential to achieving global food system transformation.
Across all aspects of AMR, the COVID-19 pandemic has added to our challenge.
A survey assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the prevention and control of AMR in 73 countries highlights reduced availability of nursing, medical, and public health staff for AMR prevention and control.
Disruptions to routine immunization services have the potential to increase the risk of infection from vaccine-preventable diseases, potentially leading to an overuse of antimicrobials.
Individuals presenting with mild COVID-19 disease are too often prescribed antibiotics when they do not require them, contributing to AMR.
Now more than ever, we must redouble our efforts to prevent and combat this health and development threat.
Each year, the global “Handle antimicrobials with care” campaign culminates in November, with World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.
The theme of this year’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week is “Spread awareness, stop resistance” – a theme that is especially important to this Tripartite’s efforts to promote, coordinate and facilitate One Health collaboration, of which this webinar is just one example.
In the coming session, I urge all participants to carefully consider how they can enhance One Health awareness and action generally, and also increase responsible and prudent use of antimicrobial agents in agriculture specifically.
Together, we must highlight the need for all stakeholders to adopt the One Health approach, to increase the effectiveness of medicine and health care, improve food security and safety, and accelerate progress towards the SDGs.
Thank you.