Regional Consultation and Related Study on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Risk to Aquaculture in Asia and Preliminary Consultation on Monitoring of AMR in Bacterial Pathogens in Aquaculture

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been recognized as one of the important threat to human health and environmental. In order to guide the global campaign to address the AMR, the World Health Assembly endorsed a global action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance at its Sixty-eighth Assembly in May 2015. To support the global action plan, FAO developed its own plan of action to tackle AMR and launched a number of initiatives to implement the plan of actions. Being a globally important food production sector, aquaculture has experienced rapid development in the past four decades. Fast growth of aquaculture production has contributed significantly to food and nutrition, rural livelihood and overall socioeconomic development in many Asian countries. Intensification and increased movement of live aquatic animals along with the aquaculture development have significantly increased the occurrence of aquatic animal diseases, particularly diseases caused by bacteria and other microorganisms in aquaculture. Currently, antimicrobial are commonly used in prevention and control of aquatic animal diseases caused by bacteria and other microorganisms in culture of different commodities in Asia. Due to lack of effective regulation and good management in use of antimicrobial use (AMU) in Asian aquaculture, risk of development AMR associated with aquaculture can impose major threat to human health and sustainability of aquaculture industry in the region.

The regional consultation is an important effort of FAO in collaboration with the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) to support the member countries to effectively tackle AMR associated with aquaculture in Asia. The regional consultation is a joint activity of FAO regular fisheries programme work and USAID project. The consultation will be participated by 50-60 government officials and experts representing aquaculture and aquatic animal health management authorities in some 20 countries, regional and international organizations and development partners. The consultation will share the existing knowledge and information on AMR, analyze the status and major issues of AMU and its regulation and management in Asia aquaculture sector based on preliminary assessment study conducted in 8 selected countries, discuss strategy and actions for effective mitigation of AMR risk associated with Asian aquaculture sector and prepare draft plan for monitoring AMR in Bacterial Pathogens in Aquaculture.

Purpose

The regional consultation will focus on the identification of major issues, gaps and constraints in minimizing risks associated with AMR in aquaculture, based on a well-designed country assessment on the status of AMU and AMR in 8 selected countries in the region. Strategies will be formulated to address the issues and gaps, and to raise awareness on AMU and AMR, while recommendations will also be formulated to promote responsible and prudent AMU in aquaculture towards a more sustainable production.

The consultation on AMR monitoring will focus on AMR monitoring among priority pathogens from aquaculture in the region using harmonized approaches. It will be comprised of AMR experts from major aquaculture industries in the region including Singapore as the ASEAN lead country on AMR surveillance in aquatic animals, and technical experts from FAO RAP, NACA, and CU VET AMR (as the forthcoming FAO Regional Reference Center for AMR).

Prospectus 

Agenda