Adopt and implement high-impact interventions to secure future of antibiotics

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global crisis that threatens the future of our most precious drugs: antibiotics. Across the world, AMR kills an estimated 700 000 people annually, including 230 000 from multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, according to World Health Organisation (WHO). “By 2050, unless urgent action is taken, AMR is expected to kill 10 million annually,” it said, adding that antibiotic-resistant bacteria are responsible for a substantial proportion of the AMR burden. “The emergence and spread of resistant bacteria is accelerated by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in human and animal health.”
The WHO South-East Asia Region is taking decisive action to combat AMR, which since 2014 has been a flagship priority. All member states have developed a national multisectoral action plan to address AMR. They are now implementing them. Each member state has signed on to the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System, a key initiative that will advance AMR-related research. Region-wide, the Tripartite Collaboration on AMR, which comprises WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), is addressing vulnerabilities in the human and animal health sectors, as well as in agriculture. Ensuring antibiotics are used rationally continues to be a core priority.
The Region’s progress must be sustained. It must also be accelerated – an outcome the new WHO-convened Regional Taskforce for AMR will help achieve. In pursuit of the Region’s Flagship Priority on AMR, as well as its quest to achieve universal health coverage, health authorities Region-wide should adopt and implement several high-impact interventions.

SAARC reaffirms commitment to promote agriculture and rural development

The fourth meeting of the SAARC agriculture ministers – held yesterday Bhutan – reaffirmed its commitments to further strengthen regional cooperation by promoting cooperation in agriculture and rural development for enhancing food, nutrition and livelihood security of the region.
According to a press release issued by the secretariat of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the inaugural session of the meeting yesterday was attended by foreign minister of Bhutan Tandi Dorji as the chief guest.
SAARC would – in the rapidly changing regional and global state of affairs – need to align itself to the emerging priorities and assured the unwavering support and commitment of the Royal Government of Bhutan to the SAARC processes, he said, while addressing the meeting.
Likewise, agriculture minister of Bhutan Lyonpo Yeshey Penjor and SAARC secretary general Amjad Hussain B Sial also addressed the inaugural session.
The meeting also adopted a 19-point Thimphu statement on the agriculture and rural development with regional pledges and strategies, to deal with the emerging challenges being faced by the region in agriculture and allied sectors and to advance the agricultural sector of the region.
During the meeting, the ministers agreed to promote multi-sectoral approaches to attain a higher level of food safety and nutrition security, promote climate resilient agricultural strategies and technologies, expand agro-processing and building competitive agricultural value chains, according to the press note.
The meeting also agreed to facilitate gender mainstreaming and attracting youth and women in agriculture, intensify agricultural research, development, and innovation through higher public investment and public-private partnership, adopt appropriate measures for addressing the issues related to trans-boundary animal diseases, the release reads, adding that the ministers also adopted a statement on SAARC’s Cooperation on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) with some specific directives to tackle this menace, recognising the increasing challenges, posed by Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) to animal and human health in the region.
Hosted by Bhutan yesterday, the fourth meeting of the SAARC agriculture ministers was preceded by the meetings of the SAARC senior agriculture officials, Technical Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and Third Multi-stakeholders’ Dialogue.
Nepal will host the fifth meeting of the SAARC agriculture ministers.