FAO Again Warns, Antimicrobial Resistance is a Slow Motion Pandemic with Long-term Threats to Public Health, Food Security
Photos from the World Cotton Day photo gallery may be reproduced provided attribution is given to the WTO and the WTO is informed. Photos: © WTO/ Roxana Paraschiv
Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), QU Dongyu, has charged the world not to forget that during the COVID-19 crisis, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a ‘slow motion’ pandemic, with significant long-term threats to global public health and food security, which needs multi-stakeholders engagement.
He was speaking while calling on all stakeholders, including international organisations, private sectors and civil society to double their efforts and strengthen partnerships towards achieving “One World, One Health and One Planet we are living on”.
Qu also highlighted the critical role of the Global Leaders Group in advancing response to antimicrobial resistance by building political momentum and public support.
Adding, he said to accelerate progress in the fight against antimicrobial resistance FAO was going to launch a new Action Plan on AMR for 2021-2025, aimed at providing further support to governments, producers, traders and other stakeholders for the adoption of measures to minimize the use of antimicrobials and to contain the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals and agriculture are the main drivers of on AMR. Resistant micro-organisms can spread between humans, animals or the environment, and the antimicrobials used to treat various infectious diseases in animals and humans can be the same.
Already, heads of FAO, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday launched a new One Health Global Leaders Group on AMR.
Group members include heads of government, government ministers, leaders from the private sector and civil society. The group is co-chaired by Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, and Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
