E-DRUG: Landmark Asian AMR workshop - Brief Report
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Landmark Asian workshop on AMR organized by South Centre and TWN
The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis is affecting many Asian countries
seriously. There has been progress in the last few years in recognizing
this crisis. But for most countries the battle is only at the beginning
stage, much more needs to be done, and several problems of implementing
national plans need to be overcome if real progress on the ground is to be
made.
This picture of the situation emerged at a South-east Asian regional
workshop on AMR attended by 60 participants, including policy makers from
10 countries, as well as representatives of civil society, scientists and
regional AMR focal points of the World Health Organisation and the Food and
Agriculture Organisation.
The workshop, held in Penang (Malaysia) on 26-28 March 2018, was
co-organised by the South Centre and the Third World Network, with the
support of the Fleming Fund. The policy makers were from Indonesia,
Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos,
China and India. NGOs from most of these countries, as well as Australia,
also attended.
It was a landmark meeting for several reasons. Firstly, high-level policy
and technical experts, most of them being focal points or coordinators of
their national AMR committees, took part. Second, the government
officials were AMR experts from both the human health and animal sectors,
which is quite rare as usually international AMR meetings involve officials
from only one sector or the other. The workshop thus lived up to the
concept of a One Health approach.
Thirdly, civil society groups involved in AMR or general health issues were
also represented, enabling dialogues to take place between the governmental
and non-governmental sectors. It was recognized that actions by both are
crucial to generate public awareness and mobilise public support for AMR
actions. Fourthly, the workshop provided the most up-to-date information
on global and regional developments (provided by experts, including from
the WHO, FAO and South Centre) as well as the state of policies and actions
at national level.
Martin Khor, Executive Director of the South Centre, presented a
comprehensive analysis of why developing countries are being affected the
most from the AMR crisis and must join in the global effort to address it.
However their interests and challenges while doing so should be recognized
so that they can effectively implement their national plans.
A highlight of the workshop was a session on the need for a One Health
Approach to AMR. Dr Peter Collignon, Director of ACT Pathology at Canberra
Hospital (Australia) spoke of the AMR situation in the human health,
animal, aquaculture and environment sectors and their interconnectedness.
To read the complete report go to:
https://www.twn.my/title2/health.info/2018/hi180502.htm
E-drug@healthnet.org