Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-stakeholder Partnership Platform

An Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Multi-stakeholder Partnership Platform (MSPP) was set up on November 18 this year to mark the start of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW).

What is Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-stakeholder Partnership Platform?

• The Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Multi-stakeholder Partnership Platform (MSPP) was launched jointly by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health.
• The purpose of this newly established platform is to:

1. Promote multidimensional action to combat antimicrobial resistance at the international, regional and national levels through action groups and formation of action plans.
2. Create global momentum and high-level advocacy to combat antimicrobial resistance.
3. Push for a global commitment to use antimicrobials in a responsible and prudent manner to ensure their effective utilization.

• The platform was recommended by the Interagency Coordination Group (IACG) in its 2019 report. The IACG recommended coordination between different stakeholders representing human, animal, plant and environmental health as well as agriculture, food and feed production to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

What is antimicrobial resistance?

Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health concern that was responsible for almost 5 million deaths across the world in 2019. This includes 1.27 million deaths associated with the bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve over time and do not respond to medicines. This makes infections difficult to treat, increasing the risk of the disease spreading, becoming more severe and deadly. It causes deaths, morbidity, increases the cost of treatment, prolongs hospitalization, and reduces productivity of animals. This causes a major challenge for global food security and efforts seeking to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Some of the major drivers of AMR are misuse or overuse of antibiotics in food animal production, and wastes from factories, households, hospitals and farms.

About World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW)

WAAW is a global campaign that is observed each year from November 18 to 24 to raise global awareness about AMR and promote best practices to address it. The theme for 2022 WAAW is ‘Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together’.

Month: Current Affairs – November, 2022

Category: International / World Current Affairs