Guidance in development of aquaculture component of a national action plan on antimicrobial resistance

Abstract

Since the adoption, in May 2015, of the Global Plan of Action (GAP) on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), during the 68th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the subsequent adoption by the delegates of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) of the OIE AMR Strategy and the adoption of Resolution 4/2015 by the 39th Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a political declaration was made during a high-level meeting on AMR at the 71st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA, September 2016). The UNGA called upon the Tripartite (i.e. WHO, OIE, and FAO) and other intergovernmental organisations to support the development and implementation of National Action Plans (NAPs) and AMR activities at the national, regional, and global levels under the One Health platform. This paper provides preliminary guidance in the development of the aquaculture component of NAP on AMR under the auspices of the FAO project FMM/RAS/298/MUL: Strengthening capacities, policies, and national action plans on prudent and responsible use of antimicrobials in fisheries. Such guidance, consisting of two levels (i.e. generic and aquaculture-specific), are important first steps in the process. Having such a plan will now allow the responsible Competent Authority to raise the profile of aquaculture in national discourses on AMR, generate an understanding of the sector and its importance by other relevant sectors engaged in the One Health platform, stimulate investment and support towards further development and implementation of the action plan. The aquaculture component needs to be fully integrated in a country’s NAP on AMR.