Quadripartite side event ‘UNGA 2024 High level Meeting on AMR and beyond: Bringing the voices and perspectives of the Low and middle income countries’

Quadripartite side event 'UNGA 2024 High-level Meeting on AMR and beyond: Bringing the voices and perspectives of the Low-and middle-income countries'

Thanawat Tiensin, Assistant Director-General, FAO

25/09/2024

• I would like to express sincere thanks to ICARS, the UN Foundation, and Quadripartite colleagues for this opportunity to discuss the urgent need to address AMR challenges in developing countries.
• Often, the voices that need the most support are overlooked in global dialogues, despite some countries and regions carrying the highest burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR),
• This fact underscores the need for context-specific approaches that consider local drivers of AMR, that are community led.
• FAO and ICARS are committed to working at the farm level, implementing solutions through initiatives like Farmer Field Schools.
• While some countries struggle with overuse of antimicrobials in agrifood systems, many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) also face a dual challenge of lack of access and underuse. Tracking and definitively establishing the burden of AMR is often extremely difficult due to insufficient surveillance and diagnostics.
• Through the International FAO Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (InFARM) FAO is enabling better data generation, analysis, and sharing to support informed decision-making in agrifood systems.
• FAO is pleased with the recognition of the contribution of the agrifood sector by the political declaration with the following commitments:
  • Reducing global antimicrobial use in agrifood systems by 2030.
  • Investing in and promoting alternatives to antimicrobials.
  • Ensuring prudent and responsible use of antimicrobials in animals and agriculture.
  • Defining animal vaccination strategies with clear implementation plans
  • Developing further global guidance to prevent and reduce the use of antimicrobials in plant agriculture
  • Investing in animal and plant health systems to ensure equitable access to essential veterinary services, enhance management practices, and improve oversight of antimicrobial use.
• The FAO 10-year RENOFARM initiative aims to support 100 countries at the farm level to implement the commitments of the declaration, aiming to reduce the need for antimicrobials in agrifood systems
• Sustainable and diversified funding is crucial. We must bridge funding gaps in LMICs and ensure that National Action Plans (NAPs) are adequately budgeted. Funding mechanisms like AMR MPTF that are designed to support NAPs implementation in LMICS should be expanded to support 100 % of countries in implementing their NAPs.
• UNGA marks an important milestone, but our focus must shift to implementation and tangible solutions ensuring that those working within and dependent on agrifood systems are at the centre of decision-making and sustainable transformation.
• Thank you.