Antimicrobials: Beware and handle with care!
Foto: ©FAO/Vasily Maximov
On 24 November 2020, the Moscow-based offices of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) joined efforts and hosted the traditional round table on tackling the issue of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
Key Russian stakeholders united in combatting AMR
The virtual round table “Antimicrobials: handle with care” brought together representatives from the Council of Federation, Russian line ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Healthcare, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor), and the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor), as well as experts from national research institutions and the academia.
Key stakeholders in public and animal health, agriculture, and food safety agreed that World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2020 (WAAW) is particularly significant this year as the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased overuse of antimicrobials. AMR is one of ten major global health risks and, if not contained now, it may become as dangerous as the coronavirus pandemic.
Call for scaling up the intersectoral dialogue at the country level
The round table served as a fruitful platform for not only raising awareness on the global problem of AMR but also promoting intersectoral dialogue in Russia, exchange of experience among international and national partners, and identifying the most effective and innovative mechanisms for implementation of respective national strategies and programmes.
The participants of the discussion provided updates on the implementation of the Russian National multisectoral AMR Strategy and Plan of Actions and highlighted good practices in interdisciplinary approach in tackling the emergence of AMR at the country level. “Successful implementation of the National Strategy will help reduce mortality and increase life expectancy of the population,” highlighted Member of the Committee of social policy of the Council of Federation Yu. Arkharov. Professor Lyalya Gabbasova, Assistant to the Russian Minister of Healthcare, stressed that despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, the work on AMR Strategy implementation has not ceased and the intersectoral collaboration has expanded to some Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries as well.
The joint Moscow-based Tripartite team (WHO-FAO-OIE) supported by the UNEP representative office advocated for strengthening actions to fight AMR and promoting behavior change in people regarding the use of antibiotics. Combined efforts are crucial for keeping antimicrobial efficacy through a One Health approach.
Dr Alexey Tutelyan, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Head of the Laboratory of Infections Related to Medical Care at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, overviewed the issue of Antimicrobial Resistance from scientific and practical perspectives. Referring to the problem of the use of antibiotics in the agri-food sector, the expert stressed that there is growing evidence that animal husbandry is the main source of emergence of Antibiotic Resistance among humans.
“The problem of resistance is one of the most acute problems of our time, which carries both biological and economic risks,” said Anna Sadchikova, Head of the Division of State Regulation in the Field of Veterinary Medicine of the Ministry of Agriculture.
“Today normative and legal regulation is focused at minimizing these risks. Together with the Ministry of Healthcare, we are implementing this strategy. The Ministry of Agriculture has draft a law regulating the use of antibiotics in animal feed; the draft is under consideration at the moment”, the official concluded.
“FAO is working on the issue of AMR both independently and within the framework of the Tripartite cooperation”, said Oleg Kobiakov, Director of the Moscow-based FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation. “FAO has adopted a five-year Action Plan to combat AMR, which we are updating based on existing achievements and experience; raising awareness is one of the main priorities of FAO. A new disturbing phenomenon that often escapes attention is the large-scale use of antibiotics in aquaculture as a result of which they are introduced directly into the biome”.
“We highly appreciate the cooperation with the Russian Federation, which is funding a large-scale FAO technical cooperation project worth over USD 3 million on reducing the spread of AMR in the food and agriculture sector”, the head of the FAO Moscow office added. “At the moment, FAO has focused its efforts on combatting AMR by promoting the cessation of the non-therapeutic use of antimicrobial drugs in livestock and aquaculture (as growth stimulators and for disease prevention), as well as on tightening the standards for antibiotics residues in food products on the platform of the WHO-FAO “Codex Alimentarius” Commission on Food Standards”, Oleg Kobiakov concluded.
Dr Melita Vujnovic, WHO Representative in Russia, reported on WHO activities on surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in the world and technical assistance to countries in implementing national programs. Thus, data collection was carried out within the framework of the fourth round of global monitoring of countries' progress, the report is being prepared for release.However, the results of a WHO study conducted in the spring of 2020 in several countries of the European Region indicate an increase in unnecessary antibiotic use during the COVID-19 pandemic. About a third of those surveyed said that they had taken antibiotics in the past seven days. Of these, 80 percent showed no signs of infection, but still used antibiotics for prevention.
Dr Budimir Plavsic, Head of the OIE Regional Representation in Moscow, underlined that the joint round table in Russia between the highest national authorities and the Tripartite-Plus partners is a demonstration of the best practice for collaboration and multilateralism in the fight against the threat of AMR. “We must ensure prudent and responsible use of antimicrobials in all health areas, from plant and animal medicine to human health, from agriculture and environment protection to food industry. International standards are well known, endorsed by all countries, and they should be implemented on a daily basis for every single case of infection and every agribusiness practice”, said the OIE Representative.
“Human well-being is impossible without animal and environmental health”, stressed Vladimir Moshkalo, UNEP Representative to Russia. “The health crisis caused by COVID-19 has shone light on the close link between human, animal and environmental health. In the case of animal-to-human zoonoses like COVID-19, degradation of nature increases the risks, and the whole world is now paying a high price for it.”
Chief specialist of the Ministry of Health on clinical microbiology and antimicrobial resistance, rector of the Smolensk State Medical University R.S. Kozlov drew attention to the training of specialists in medical universities and the introduction of digital technologies in the processing of big data in the study of the genome of microorganisms, which is of great applied importance. Director of Institute of microbiology, antimicrobial therapy and epidemiology Dr T. Priputnevich presented results of research of AMR in patients with COVID19. Head of biotechnology unit of Center of quality control of medicines in veterinary O. Ivanova reported about newly developed complex for identification of basic antimicrobials in veterinary.
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This was the fourth time since 2016 that a round table to mark WAAW was organized in the Russian Federation. The forum has established itself as one of the key national events in the area of AMR.
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2020
The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) aims to increase awareness on AMR and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.
Following a stakeholders’ consultation meeting of WHO, FAO and OIE in May 2020, the scope of WAAW was expanded, changing its focus from "antibiotics" to the more encompassing and inclusive term "antimicrobials". Expanding the scope of the campaign will facilitate a more inclusive global response to Antimicrobial Resistance and support the multisectoral One Health Approach.
According to the Tripartite Executive Committee decision, from 2020 on WAAW will be marked annually from 18 to 24 November. The WAAW 2020 campaign’s theme is "Antimicrobials: handle with care".
A Global Action Plan to tackle the growing problem of resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobials was endorsed at the Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly in May 2015. One of the key objectives of the Plan is to improve awareness and understanding of Antimicrobial Resistance through effective communication, education and training.
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You are welcome to listen to the recording of the roundtable discussion on AMR: