FAO to support countries in tackling spread of AMR
Global leaders will meet at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next Friday - 21 September 2016 to debate the emerging challenge posed by medicine-resistant "superbugs". Only on three other occasions (HIV, noncommunicable diseases and Ebola) has the General Assembly held a high-level meeting to discuss such matters, clearly indicating the global threat that AMR represents.
FAO Action Plan
FAO has pledged to help countries develop strategies for tackling the spread of antimicrobial resistance in their food supply chains.
Supporting the food and agriculture sectors to prevent and minimize antimicrobial resistance and the implementation of the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance
According to FAO's Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, published today: "Antimicrobial medicines play a critical role in the treatment of diseases of farm animals and plants. Their use is essential to food security, to our well-being, and to animal welfare. However, the misuse of these drugs, associated with the emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant micro-organisms, places everyone at great risk."
The four key areas of the action plan are:
- Improving awareness of AMR issues among farmers and producers, veterinary professionals and authorities, policymakers, and food consumers
- Building national capacities for surveillance and monitoring of AMR and antimicrobial use (AMU) in food and agriculture
- Strengthening governance related to AMU and AMR in food and agriculture
- Promoting good practices in food and agricultural systems and the prudent use of antimicrobials
Codex Task Force
Codex already has standards in place to assist national food safety control authorities in tackling antomicrobial resistance in foods. These standards deal with veterinary drugs and their residues, food hygiene and animal feed.
The 2016 Codex Alimentarius Commission acknowledged that AMR is a serious public health threat requiring urgent attention by Codex, and that a coordinated approach was needed at the international and national level to combat AMR.
The Commission has established an Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance to be hosted by the Republic of Korea which will develop a structured and long term strategy to address this global issue.
A working group chaired by the UK will be meeting in London (29 September - 2 December) to revise the project documents that will set the course for "new work" on AMR (the start of the standard devleopment process in Codex). The London meeting will also define how Codex will request scientific advice from the parent bodies FAO and WHO and in collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
Links
FAO #AMR Web Portal
WHO Global Action Plan on AMR
At the heart of the Codex mandate are the core values of collaboration, inclusiveness, consensus building and transparency. Governmental and non-governmental, public and private organizations alike play a vital role in ensuring Codex texts are of the highest quality and based on sound science.
Codex would have little authority in the field of international standard setting if it did not welcome and acknowledge the valuable contributions made by observers. Expert technical bodies, industry and consumer associations
contribute to the standard-setting process in a spirit of openness, collaboration and transparency.
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can apply for observer status in Codex in order to attend and put forward their views at every stage of the standard-setting process.
Current Codex Alimentarius Commission
FAO to support countries in tackling spread of AMR
Global leaders will meet at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next Friday - 21 September 2016 to debate the emerging challenge posed by medicine-resistant "superbugs". Only on three other occasions (HIV, noncommunicable diseases and Ebola) has the General Assembly held a high-level meeting to discuss such matters, clearly indicating the global threat that AMR represents.
FAO Action Plan
FAO has pledged to help countries develop strategies for tackling the spread of antimicrobial resistance in their food supply chains.
Supporting the food and agriculture sectors to prevent and minimize antimicrobial resistance and the implementation of the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance
According to FAO's Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, published today: "Antimicrobial medicines play a critical role in the treatment of diseases of farm animals and plants. Their use is essential to food security, to our well-being, and to animal welfare. However, the misuse of these drugs, associated with the emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant micro-organisms, places everyone at great risk."
The four key areas of the action plan are:
- Improving awareness of AMR issues among farmers and producers, veterinary professionals and authorities, policymakers, and food consumers
- Building national capacities for surveillance and monitoring of AMR and antimicrobial use (AMU) in food and agriculture
- Strengthening governance related to AMU and AMR in food and agriculture
- Promoting good practices in food and agricultural systems and the prudent use of antimicrobials
Codex Task Force
Codex already has standards in place to assist national food safety control authorities in tackling antomicrobial resistance in foods. These standards deal with veterinary drugs and their residues, food hygiene and animal feed.
The 2016 Codex Alimentarius Commission acknowledged that AMR is a serious public health threat requiring urgent attention by Codex, and that a coordinated approach was needed at the international and national level to combat AMR.
The Commission has established an Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance to be hosted by the Republic of Korea which will develop a structured and long term strategy to address this global issue.
A working group chaired by the UK will be meeting in London (29 September - 2 December) to revise the project documents that will set the course for "new work" on AMR (the start of the standard devleopment process in Codex). The London meeting will also define how Codex will request scientific advice from the parent bodies FAO and WHO and in collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
Links
FAO #AMR Web Portal
WHO Global Action Plan on AMR
Codex and Observer
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