The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, CON, under the One Health Approach to implement the new National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), on Monday called for collaboration among stakeholders to enhance public health, food security, and sustainable development in Nigeria. This was contained in a statement signed by the Principal Information Officer, FMAFS, Obe Mabel.
Senator Kyari said the new National Action Plan on AMR has six strategic objectives which include, strengthening leadership and surveillance systems, improving public awareness, implementing infection prevention and control programmes, access to quality microbials and increasing the knowledge capacity of relevant stakeholders.
Represented by the Director of Planning and Policy Coordination, Mr Ibrahim Tanimu, Kyari at the ceremony in Abuja, underscores need to address the the challenges of AMR in the human, animal and environmental sectors.
He said, “In line with the political declaration at the just concluded United Nation’s General Assembly, the Ministry recognises that antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent global health threats and development challenges.
“Antimicrobial resistance is predicted to cause about 11 percent decline in livestock production in low-income countries by 2050”.
He made it known that a network of laboratories to support AMR surveillance, and developed national guidelines for the use of antimicrobial drugs in animals to guide animal health practitioners has been established.
This, Kyari said, would also be addressed through collaboration with Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO), by developing Bio Securities Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for poultry and aquaculture sectors.
In his contribution at the event, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Ali Pate, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of its citizens.
He said, “AMR occurs when microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve and develop the ability to survive treatments that once killed them or inhibited their growth.”
The Health minister said that the Second National Action Plan on AMR is designed to reduce the impact of antimicrobial resistance, which was responsible for 4.7 million deaths worldwide in 2020.
In his presentation, the Co-chair of the AMR Technical Working Group, Kabir Junaid stated that the adoption of the document was crucial as it would direct the country on what it should focus on combating anti-microbial resistance.
The World Health Organisation’s Country Representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, on his part, pointed out that the world has reached a critical milestone in understanding the environment’s impact on antimicrobial resistance.