Moscow conference aims to unite countries in fight against antimicrobial resistance

Recognizing that the unregulated use of antimicrobials is a growing problem across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, FAO has been working hard to implement improvements across the region, with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation.

One example is a regional conference, which began today in Moscow, devoted to reducing the advance of antimicrobial resistance in the region.

The conference, which aims at improving joint efforts among countries, is part of a project to upgrade the management of risk related to antimicrobial resistance in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

“Antimicrobial resistance is a global health priority due to its high negative impacts on human and animal health, food safety and sustainable development of the agriculture sector,” said Vladimir Rakhmanin, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia.

“Within this context,” Rakhmanin emphasized, “it is critical that ongoing development within the food and agriculture sector is accompanied by a plan to address this and to ensure that antimicrobials are regulated and used in a responsible manner. In all targeted countries, the food, agriculture and environmental sectors have to be actively engaged in the implementation of national action plans in line with their own priority areas.”

Under the USD 3.3-million project, financed by the Russian Federation, FAO is closely cooperating with the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor).

“Antimicrobial resistance is a global challenge that is as relevant as ever and poses serious threats to human health,” said Vyacheslav Smolenskiy, deputy head of Rospotrebnadzor. “It requires a reduction of antimicrobial use, primarily in agriculture sectors. A holistic approach in addressing the antimicrobial resistance issue is essential for sustainable global as well as regional socio-economic development.”

The region’s food and agricultural sector has seen the widespread use of antimicrobials for therapeutic, preventative, and growth-promotion purposes. Antimicrobials are important in the treatment of diseases in farm animals and plants, and their use is essential to food security, human wellbeing, and animal welfare.

However, improvements need to be made in this part of the world in dealing with antimicrobial resistance. Data have shown that many regulatory surveillance and monitoring systems are weak or non-existent. Surveillance protocols aren’t harmonized among countries, ministries and competent authorities in charge of risk management. Enforcement is less than optimal throughout the region, which is also marked by low levels of compliance with existing guidelines and minimal awareness of the risks related to antimicrobial resistance.

Consequently, statistics warn of growing threats to human and animal health linked to antimicrobial resistance. FAO experts have seen resistance that has arisen in one geographical location or species easily spread to other areas or species, impacting developed and developing countries alike. To fix this, FAO’s work in the region is widespread, focused on policy, regulation, prevention, awareness and engagement with producers and other actors in food value chains.

In addition to reviewing the current state of antimicrobial resistance in the participating countries, the Moscow forum will focus on developing and/or implementing national action plans. Other goals include a review of the best experiences and practical considerations for the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance, including in the context of the One Health approach.

A number of high-level government officials from the areas of agriculture, human health, veterinary services and food safety services are present at the forum, along with FAO experts and representatives of foreign embassies. Their hope is that the two-day brainstorming sessions will contribute to the improvement of cross-sectoral coordination of efforts to hinder the advance of antimicrobial resistance.

FAO and the Russian Federation intend to continue their joint work within the framework of the FAO regional project on capacity building and enhancing antimicrobial resistance surveillance and monitoring systems in the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The project is a keystone for ensuring food safety and combating the spread of threats linked to antimicrobial resistance in the food and agriculture sectors.

“This project is just the first step that will contribute to the development of common approaches to counteract the AMR threat in Eastern Europe and Central Asia,” Smolenskiy said. “The Russian Federation is a leader in this area in the region, and Rospotrebnadzor experts are ready to continue their support, including in development and in strengthening the capacities of national laboratories in partner countries.”