Workshop examines ways to contain antimicrobial resistance

AMMAN — The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN and the Ministry of Agriculture have conducted a one-day workshop in Amman on strengthening efforts of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) control in Jordan.

If no drastic measures are taken by 2050, it could threaten the lives of 10 million people annually, according to an FAO statement.

A global issue that “even threatens the achievements of modern medicine”, resistance to common bacteria has reached alarming levels in many parts of the world, the statement said. 

“Antimicrobial resistance… is like a silent tsunami… antimicrobial resistance has always existed on earth, as it is a natural process for bacteria and viruses to survive,” FAO Representative ad interim Alexis Bonte was quoted in the statement as saying.

“It’s humankind with our frenetic course for producing more and getting more profit which has contributed to accelerating that resistance process to a level which has become a global issue,” he said.

Another worrying element, according to the statement, is that surveillance of antibacterial resistance is “neither coordinated nor harmonised”.

 “As for FAO, our action plan for AMR focuses on four areas of work: Awareness, surveillance, strengthening governance and promoting good practices in food systems, as well as prudent use of antimicrobials,” Bonte said.

“Thanks to the tripartite agreement with the World Health Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Health, the FAO has supported 13 countries in the region to develop their national action plans to combat AMR. Our meeting represents a sound step forward in the direction of AMR control in the Middle East,” he added. 

The official highlighted the importance of recommendations and exchange of information among stakeholders in the UN, the public and private sectors, academia, research centres and professional associations in order to better implement the National Action Plan for AMR in Jordan.