The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a new report on ‘International instruments on the use of antimicrobials across the human, animal and plant sectors’. The report was launched by the heads of these organizations during the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.

This new report was presented to countries and other stakeholders at a webinar organized by the WHO on 10 February 2021, which boasted 2729 registered participants and more than 1300 viewers  from all regions. Representatives from FAO, the OIE and the WHO introduced the report, which includes a compilation of international guidance documents relevant for antimicrobial use (AMU), and highlighted the need for consistent One Health guidance to countries across sectors, paying attention to the interface between human, animal and plant health, as well as the environment. FAO was represented by a Legal Officer from the Development Law Service (LEGN), Carmen Bullon.

At the question of how the three Organizations support the implementation of the standards, the Representative from FAO introduced the FAO AMR Action Plan and FAO’s capacity development program. She also mentioned some of the key AMR tools developed by FAO, such as the FAO Assessment Tool for Laboratories and AMR Surveillance Systems (FAO-ATLASS), the Progressive Management Pathway (PMP) and the Methodology to analyze AMR-relevant legislation in the food and agriculture sectors. 

The next steps will include the joint implementation of a project funded by the Multipartner Trust Fund (MPTF) to develop a One Health Tripartite (FAO/OIE/WHO) Legal Assessment Tool to analyze AMR-relevant legislation that will include the human health sector. This tool will expand the scope to include all aspects of AMR and will focus on national and regional legislation. With the support of the FAO AMR working group, LEGN will lead this effort in close collaboration with the OIE and the WHO legal and AMR teams.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a new report on ‘International instruments on the use of antimicrobials across the human, animal and plant sectors’. The report was launched by the heads of these organizations during the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.

This new report was presented to countries and other stakeholders at a webinar organized by the WHO on 10 February 2021, which boasted 2729 registered participants and more than 1300 viewers  from all regions. Representatives from FAO, the OIE and the WHO introduced the report, which includes a compilation of international guidance documents relevant for antimicrobial use (AMU), and highlighted the need for consistent One Health guidance to countries across sectors, paying attention to the interface between human, animal and plant health, as well as the environment. FAO was represented by a Legal Officer from the Development Law Service (LEGN), Carmen Bullon.

At the question of how the three Organizations support the implementation of the standards, the Representative from FAO introduced the FAO AMR Action Plan and FAO’s capacity development program. She also mentioned some of the key AMR tools developed by FAO, such as the FAO Assessment Tool for Laboratories and AMR Surveillance Systems (FAO-ATLASS), the Progressive Management Pathway (PMP) and the Methodology to analyze AMR-relevant legislation in the food and agriculture sectors.

The next steps will include the joint implementation of a project funded by the Multipartner Trust Fund (MPTF) to develop a One Health Tripartite (FAO/OIE/WHO) Legal Assessment Tool to analyze AMR-relevant legislation that will include the human health sector. This tool will expand the scope to include all aspects of AMR and will focus on national and regional legislation. With the support of the FAO AMR working group, LEGN will lead this effort in close collaboration with the OIE and the WHO legal and AMR teams.