The Indian Network for Fisheries and Animal Antimicrobial Resistance (INFAAR) constituted by the Government of India (GoI), held its fifth advisory board, and third annual meetings, virtually on September 14-15, 2020.

The Advisory Board meeting was co-chaired by the Deputy Director Generals for Animal Sciences and Fisheries of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) respectively. The Animal Husbandry Commissioner to GoI, Directors of four leading ICAR institutes, senior scientists of ICAR, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and FAO focal points led by FAO Representative in India attended the meeting.

FAO extended technical support in organizing this meeting. Mr Tomio Shichiri, FAO Representative in India, inaugurated the meeting of the Advisory Board. He commended the work done by INFAAR during the past three years on antimicrobial resistance in the animal health sector in India. He further assured of FAO’s continued technical support in future endeavours towards expanding the membership of INFAAR and promoting its mandate of building national capacity for estimation of antimicrobial usage.

Both the meetings reviewed the work done by INFAAR in recent past particularly in the context of COVID-19. Members of INFAAR were advised to undertake feasible activities while ensuring the safety of scientists and workers during the next six months.

ICAR has submitted a funding proposal to Government of India to sustain activities of INFAAR for 2021-2025. This shall facilitate increasing the number of members in INFAAR thus giving it a true pan-India character. This will also be a step forward in augmenting the national capacity towards implementation of “One Health Initiative”.