26 September 2024, New York – Global leaders have approved a political declaration at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), committing to a clear set of targets and actions, including reducing the estimated 4.95 million human deaths associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) annually by 10% by 2030.

The declaration also calls for sustainable national financing and US$100 million in catalytic funding, to help achieve a target of at least 60% of countries having funded national action plans on AMR by 2030. This goal is to be reached through, for example, diversifying funding sources and securing more contributors to the Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Partner Trust Fund.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), known as the Quadripartite, welcome the declaration. The Quadripartite applauds countries for recognising the need for global, regional and national efforts to address AMR through a One Health approach, which recognises that the health of people, animals, plants and the wider environment, including ecosystems, are closely linked and interdependent.

Global champions involved with the meeting include Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, AMR survivors, civil society and stakeholder organisations from around the world.

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to medicines, leading to infections becoming difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

Global multisectoral action needed to reach targets by 2030

On human health, the declaration sets a more ambitious target that at least 70% of antibiotics used for human health globally should belong to the WHO Access group antibiotics with relatively minimal side effects and lower potential to cause AMR.

It also includes targets around infection prevention and control (IPC), such as 100% of countries having basic water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management services in all health care facilities and 90% of countries meeting all WHO’s minimum requirements for IPC programmes by 2030. There are also commitments on investments to facilitate equitable access to and appropriate use of antimicrobials, as well as on reporting surveillance data on antimicrobial use and AMR across sectors.

On agriculture and animal health, the declaration has commitments to, by 2030, meaningfully reduce the quantity of antimicrobials used globally in the agri-food systems by prioritising and funding the implementation of measures to prevent and control infections and ensuring prudent, responsible and evidence-based use of antimicrobials in animal health. This is to be achieved in the context of the WOAH list of priority diseases and FAO’s RENOFARM initiative, as well as preventive strategies, including animal vaccination strategies, good husbandry practices, biosecurity, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

On the environment, the declaration underscores the need to prevent and address the discharge of antimicrobials into the environment. It also calls for increased research and knowledge on the environmental dimensions of AMR and for catalysing actions to address key sources of antimicrobial pollution.

Acknowledging that AMR is a complex problem, the declaration recognises the need for a multisectoral response combining human, agricultural, animal, and environmental sector-specific interventions.

“The intersectoral challenge of AMR demands a One Health systems approach that unites human, animal, plant, and environmental health, backed by robust and accountable global AMR governance. Sustainable, consistent and diversified financing is essential to support the clear priorities and measurable targets for decisive action, while recognizing local, national and regional contexts. We must ensure universal access to medicines, treatments, and diagnostics, while promoting preventive measures and investing in research, innovation, capacity building, and bold awareness initiatives. Our health depends on safe, nutritious food, and food security hinges on efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. For nearly 80 years, FAO has been steadfast in its mission to secure safe, healthy foods for all. We fully support this declaration and remain committed to a collective action to eliminate AMR risks in agriculture and food systems,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu.

“Evidence is mounting that the environment plays a significant role in the development, spread and transmission of AMR, including transmission between humans, and animals to humans. And why if we’re to reduce the burden of AMR and its risks, the environment must be part of the solution. Today’s declaration recognises this need, and UNEP will continue to be at the forefront of efforts to reduce the burden of AMR on societies and tackle the triple planetary crisis,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

“In the century since Alexander Fleming stumbled across penicillin in a laboratory in London, antibiotics have become a mainstay of medicine, transforming once-deadly infections into treatable and curable conditions,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Antimicrobial resistance threatens to unwind that progress, making it without question one of the most pressing health challenges of our time. Today’s declaration includes vital commitments that, if translated into action, will help to track AMR, slow it down, expand access to antibiotics and other medicines and spur the development of new ones.”

Antimicrobials help animals and humans live longer and healthier lives, but many of these life-saving drugs are dangerously losing their efficacy, which has devastating impacts not only on human health, but also on livestock and the economy at large. Urgent action is needed and we welcome the numerous commitments made by countries through this political declaration. The prioritisation of preventative measures against infectious diseases in animals is of paramount importance. That is why WOAH will continue to assist countries by developing standards and guidelines, assessing policy frameworks for antimicrobial prescription and supporting the implementation of biosecurity and vaccination programs on priority diseases that can help reduce the need for antimicrobials, among other measures.

Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, WOAH Director General

Clear way forward

The declaration formalises the standing Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR as the central coordinating mechanism to support the global response to AMR. It also requests the Quadripartite organisations, together with countries, to update the Global Action Plan (GAP) on Antimicrobial Resistance by 2026 to ensure a robust and inclusive multisectoral response, through a One Health approach. The declaration also gives the Quadripartite the mandate to follow up and report back on implementation of the GAP and political declaration outcomes.

It also acknowledges the critical contributions of global AMR governance mechanisms, including the Global Leaders Group and the AMR Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform, committing to strengthening the latter, among others, to facilitate the multisectoral exchange of experiences, best practices, and the assessment of Member States’ progress in implementing multisectoral national action plans on AMR. The Quadripartite is pleased to take on the declaration’s request for it to establish an independent panel for evidence for action against AMR in 2025, after a global consultation with countries. The panel will support countries in efforts to tackle AMR.

The declaration emphasises key aspects, including the importance of access to medicines, treatments and diagnostics, while calling for incentives and financing mechanisms to drive multisectoral health research, innovation and development in addressing AMR. A stronger, transparent partnership between the public and private sectors, as well as academia is critical.

The declaration also encourages countries to report quality surveillance data on antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial use by 2030, utilising existing global systems such as the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS), the Global Database for Antimicrobial Use in Animals (ANIMUSE) of WOAH, and the International FAO Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring (InFARM) . It further calls for 95% of countries to annually report on the implementation of their AMR national action plans through the Tracking AMR Country Self-assessment Survey (TrACSS).

Paris/Rome/Geneva/Nairobi – Recent international health emergencies such as COVID-19 pandemic, mpox, Ebola outbreaks, and continued threats of other zoonotic diseases, food safety, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) challenges, as well as ecosystem degradation and climate change clearly demonstrate the need for resilient health systems and accelerated global action. One Health is seen as the main approach for tackling these pressing and complex challenges facing our society.

At their first annual face-to-face meeting today, the heads of the Quadripartite organizations working on One Health issued an unprecedented call for enhanced global action.

The Quadripartite aims to achieve together what no one sector can achieve alone, and it consists of four main agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Call to action

Stressing the need for enhanced collaboration and commitment to translate the One Health approach into policy action in all countries, the Quadripartite leaders urge all countries and key stakeholders to promote and undertake the following priority actions:

1. Prioritize One Health in the international political agenda, increase understanding and advocate for the adoption and promotion of the enhanced intersectoral health governance. The One Health approach should notably serve as a guiding principle in global mechanisms; including in the new pandemic instrument and the pandemic fund to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response;
2. Strengthen national One Health policies, strategies and plans, costed and prioritized in line with the Quadripartite One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA), to foster wider implementation across relevant sectors and at all levels;
3. Accelerate the implementation of One Health plans, including supporting of national One Health governance and multisectoral coordination mechanisms, development of situation analyses, stakeholder mapping, priority setting, and metrics for One Health monitoring and evaluation frameworks;
4. Build intersectoral One Health workforces that have the skills, capacities and capabilities to prevent, detect, control, and respond to health threats in a timely and effective way, by strengthening joint pre-service and continuing education for human, animal, and environmental health workforces;
5. Strengthen and sustain prevention of pandemics and health threats at source, targeting activities and places that increase the risk of zoonotic spillover between animals to humans;
6. Encourage and strengthen One Health scientific knowledge and evidence creation and exchange, research and development, technology transfer and sharing and integrating of information and data and facilitate access to new tools and technologies; and
7. Increase investment and financing of One Health strategies and plans ensuring scaled up implementation at all levels, including funding for prevention of health threats at source.

To build one healthier planet we need urgent action to galvanize vital political commitments, greater investment and multisectoral collaboration at every level.

The Quadripartite has been playing a central role in promoting and coordinating a global One Health approach, in line with the OH JPA ^[1] which was launched in October 2022. To further support countries and governments putting the One Health approach into practice, the Quadripartite partners are developing an OH JPA implementation guide to be released in 2023.

Signed by:

• QU Dongyu, Director-General, FAO
• Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP
• Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO
• Monique Eloit, Director-General, WOAH

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^[1] one-health-joint-plan-of-action-final.pdf (woah.org)

The Global Leaders Group (GLG) on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) held its sixth (and first in-person) meeting in Barbados on February 7 and 8, hosted by the GLG Chair, Her Excellency Mia Amor Motley, Prime Minister of Barbados, at Sandals Royal Barbados, Bridgetown.

At the meeting, the GLG welcomed the appointment of its new Vice Chair, His Excellency Dr Chris Fearne, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health of Malta, and five new members, as well as the senior officials of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Program, the World Health Organization and the World Organisation for Animal Health (known as the Quadripartite).

At the meeting, the leaders discussed major challenges in the response to AMR and GLG priorities for the next two years, including the need for more sustainable financing, the role of the private sector, environmental dimensions of AMR, strengthening surveillance across sectors, research and development and the reinforcement of animal health systems. The GLG also discussed maintaining urgency, public support, political momentum and visibility of AMR challenges on the global development agenda.

A key focus of the meeting was to begin GLG planning for the second United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on AMR, scheduled for 2024, at which the GLG will press for bold and specific commitments from member states to tackle the growing threats of antimicrobial resistance.

The GLG is comprised of 21 members including political leaders and experts from the human, animal and plant health and environmental sectors and promotes a multisectoral response to AMR based on a One Health approach. 

Over the past years, avian influenza has proven to be devastating for poultry flocks and wildlife in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America. The disease is a global threat to animal health, food security and livelihoods. Affecting primarily both domestic and wild birds, it can occasionally transmit to humans and other mammals. A highly contagious disease, avian influenza is caused by viruses, whose genetic characteristics can rapidly evolve. Numerous subtypes of HPAI viruses have circulated in diverse domestic and wild bird populations on a wide geographical scale during the past several years.

Recently, the disease has also encroached on several new countries in Central and South America. Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela have detected the presence of HPAI for the first time. Chile, which had been free of HPAI for 20 years, has also reported new cases of the disease. In addition, the speed of HPAI spread has been raising some concerns, reaching all these countries in only four months. While most cases have been reported in poultry, wild species have also been impacted by this disease, including the Peruvian pelican (Pelecanus thagus) and the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), among others.

As one of the most consumed animal proteins in the region, poultry plays a significant role in food supply and nutrition. In 2021, according to the Mexican Poultry Producers Association, Brazil, Peru and Argentina chicken consumption ranked first, third and fifth respectively worldwide. The poultry production sector is the fastest-growing agricultural sub-sector, providing incomes for thousands of families.

When disease outbreaks occur, an effective control strategy usually involves the culling of all birds in the affected and at-risk farms to curb the spread of the disease. While based on scientific recommendations, such strategy causes inevitable economic losses for farmers and has a long-lasting impact on their livelihoods. Preventing avian influenza incursion is therefore key to sustaining the poultry industry and trade.

In response to the recent cases in the region, WOAH and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) created a Standing Group of Experts on Avian Influenza within the context of their joint initiative, the Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs). This group aims to provide guidance on preventive actions, preparedness and emergency response to as avian influenza in the region. Their first meeting took place on 13 December 2022 where together they agreed on a list of recommendations.

When the first confirmed case in South America occurred, we informed key stakeholders from the poultry sector to take appropriate action in order to minimise the impacts of the disease.

Dr Eva Luz Martínez Bermúdez, WOAH Delegate for Peru

These recommendations reassert the need for key stakeholders to implement strict biosecurity measures along the poultry value chain to prevent further outbreaks. They notably highlight the importance of keeping away infected birds from healthy ones and cleaning and disinfecting poultry facilities. In addition, the recommendations also focus on wild birds, including the need for surveillance programmes and enhanced biosecurity measures to avoid direct or indirect contact between domestic and wild birds and thus, the potential further spread of the disease. This is essential in preventing outbreaks in bird populations and the introduction of the virus into new poultry flocks.

It is critical that Members notify the World Organisation for Animal Health of outbreaks in a timely manner to ensure we can accurately monitor the evolution and spread of this transboundary animal disease.

Dr Luis Barcos, WOAH Regional Representative for the Americas

In light of these events, WOAH calls on countries in the region to coordinate and intensify their surveillance and preventive efforts. WOAH Reference Laboratories specialised in avian influenza can support national laboratories in the diagnostic of their samples, as needed by countries who are encouraged to share any relevant information pertaining to their disease situation in order to stop its spread and ensure a healthier world for all.

Muscat – The Third Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, hosted in Muscat, Oman, concluded today, where targets to address the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) challenge were discussed for the first time. The conference and its numerical targets for antimicrobial use in the human and animal sectors will pave the way for bold political commitments at the forthcoming UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR in 2024.

The conference agreed the Muscat Ministerial Manifesto sets out the three global targets:

• Reduce the total amount of antimicrobials used in agrifood systems by at least 30-50% by 2030, galvanizing national and global efforts;
• Preserve critically important antimicrobials for human medicine, ending the use of medically important antimicrobials for growth promotion in animals;
• Ensure ‘Access’ group antibiotics (a category of antibiotics that are affordable, safe and have a low AMR risk) represent at least 60% of overall antibiotic consumption in humans by 2030.

Globally agreed targets will be key to protecting the efficacy of antimicrobials and curbing the development of AMR worldwide, as well as reducing environmental pollution, in turn lowering the spread of AMR.

Countries also made commitments to implement National Action Plans for AMR and strengthen surveillance through improved data reporting and management, private sector engagement and implementation of evidence-based practices.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE), known as the Quadripartite, welcome the outcomes of the Conference for accelerating action on AMR.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have constrained global efforts to address AMR, but it has also demonstrated the critical links between humans, animals and the environmental ecosystem. A range of stakeholders – including the health care, pharmaceutical, veterinary, food safety, agricultural, environmental sectors – have a shared responsibility to continue to collectively respond to AMR.

“FAO recognizes the importance of reducing the need for antimicrobials on farms and will soon launch a global 10-year initiative to provide comprehensive support to Members focusing on transforming agrifood systems to contribute to this reduction,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu.

“Self-reporting by countries indicates that a third of National Action Plans on AMR do not include the environment. This signals the critical importance of supporting countries to boost actions to prevent and reduce environmental pollution. The burden of AMR can be reduced if we focus on all its dimensions and work together. UNEP is committed to working with Member States and key partners, including the Quadripartite organisations, to address AMR,” said Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director for UNEP Inger Andersen.

“Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent and complex challenges of our time, and yet perhaps because it is not as dramatic as a pandemic, a war or a humanitarian emergency, it doesn’t attract the same attention,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “It is my firm hope that this meeting will pave the way towards bold- and concrete – political commitments at the 2024 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AMR.”

The use of antimicrobials in animals has shown an overall decrease over the last years. By strengthening biosecurity and husbandry practices, such as animal vaccination, we can further build on this great achievement and sustainably reach the agreed goals. Reducing the need for antimicrobials is the best way to prevent antimicrobial resistance.

Dr Monique Eloit, WOAH Director General

The conference marks the conclusion of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, an annual week-long global campaign that brings together leaders across sectors to highlight the actions needed to preserve and protect antimicrobials.                                                                          

As highlighted by the Manifesto, the Quadripartite will continue to scale up support through a One Health approach, which balances and optimizes the health of people, animals, plants and ecosystems. The partnership will also continue to coordinate a global, multisectoral AMR response, promote strong governance and leadership, and support countries in developing and implementing National Action Plans on AMR.

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Notes to editors: 

Antimicrobials are agents used to prevent, control and treat infectious diseases in humans, animals and plants. They include antibiotics, fungicides, antiviral agents and parasiticides. 

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial agents. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. 

About the Quadripartite organisations:  

About the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 

FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Its goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members – 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. 

For more information please contact: Peter Mayer, FAO News and Media, [email protected]

About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) 

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. 

For more information, please contact: Keishamaza Rukikaire, Head of News & Media, UN Environment Programme 

About the World Health Organization (WHO)  

Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance to live a healthy life. 

For more information, please contact:  WHO media inquiries at [email protected] 

About the World Organisation for Animal Health:  

WOAH is the global authority on animal health: we work across borders to improve the health of animals and our future, recognising that animal health impacts everyone’s health. 

For more information, please contact: WOAH media requests at [email protected]  

17 October 2022, Paris, Geneva, Nairobi, Rome – Today, a new One Health Joint Plan of Action was launched by the Quadripartite – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE).

This first joint plan on One Health aims to create a framework to integrate systems and capacity so that we can collectively better prevent, predict, detect, and respond to health threats. Ultimately, this initiative seeks to improve the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment, while contributing to sustainable development.

The One Health Joint Plan of Action, developed through a participatory process, provides a set of activities that aim to strengthen collaboration, communication, capacity building, and coordination equally across all sectors responsible for addressing health concerns at the human-animal-plant-environment interface.

The One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA)      

The five-year plan (2022-2026) focuses on supporting and expanding capacities in six areas: One Health capacities for health systems, emerging and re-emerging zoonotic epidemics, endemic zoonotic, neglected tropical and vector-borne diseases, food safety risks, antimicrobial resistance and the environment. 

This technical document is informed by evidence, best practices, and existing guidance. It covers a set of actions which endeavour to advance One Health at global, regional and national levels. These actions notably include the development of an upcoming implementation guidance for countries, international partners, and non-State actors such as civil society organizations, professional associations, academia and research institutions.

The plan sets out operational objectives, which include: providing a framework for collective and coordinated action to mainstream the One Health approach at all levels; providing upstream policy and legislative advice and technical assistance to help set national targets and priorities; and promoting multinational, multi-sector, multidisciplinary collaboration, learning and exchange of knowledge, solutions and technologies. It also fosters the values of cooperation and shared responsibility, multisectoral action and partnership, gender equity, and inclusiveness.

Why One Health?

One Health is the main approach for addressing the complex health challenges facing our society, such as ecosystem degradation, food system failures, infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.

“Using a One Health lens that brings all relevant sectors together is critical to tackle global health threats, like monkeypox, COVID-19 and Ebola.” WOAH Director General Dr Monique Eloit highlights the need for enhanced disease prevention capacity in all sectors. “It all starts with ensuring the health of animals. Animal health is our health, it is everyone’s health.”

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu adds, “One Health should start from proper land management and stopping deforestation, which will help people and their animals in the surrounding environment. We need all sectors working closely together to identify and implement adaptation and mitigation measures.”

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen says that, “Everyone has the right to a clean and healthy environment – the foundation of all life on Earth. The current pandemic unequivocally demonstrates that the degradation of nature is driving up health risks across the board.” Efforts by just one sector or specialty cannot prevent or eliminate infectious disease and other complex threats to One Health. She continued: “Vulnerable populations of all species, including the most poor and marginalized humans, bear the heaviest costs. The Joint Plan of Action will drive down health risks through an integrated approach to human, animal and environment health.”

 “It’s clear that a One Health approach must be central to our shared work to strengthen the world’s defences against epidemics and pandemics such as COVID-19. That’s why One Health is one of the guiding principles of the new international agreement for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, which our Member States are now negotiating.” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Building on existing structures and agreements, mechanisms for coordinated financing are under development to support the plan’s implementation. The Quadripartite will join forces to leverage the needed resources in support of the common approach to address critical health threats and promote the health of people, animals, plants and the environment.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) develops international standards on animal health, animal welfare and veterinary public health, to be used by its Members in their national policies and programmes.

Gathered in the Terrestrial and Aquatic Codes and Manuals, WOAH Standards provide recommendations for countries to improve animal health and welfare within their territories and craft joint responses to global health crises and common risks.

In the context of a globalised society where animals and humans are deeply interconnected, agreeing on common rules across countries and regions is critical to protect the world from disease spread, safeguard animal and public health, facilitate safe international trade, and promote sustainable development.

The Organisation relies on a vast network of subject matter experts to draft its International Standards, which undertake this task under the continuous oversight of Specialist Commissions, composed by internationally renowned specialists elected by Member countries. The Specialist Commissions also play a key role in the oversight of the process for official status recognition, and provide advice on topics relevant to their specific mandates.

Each Specialist Commission meets twice a year (in September and February) to deal with scientific and technical issues raised by Members, experts and partners and discuss current health challenges.

While the meetings are only attended by these experts, Specialist Commissions are one of the critical mechanisms for interaction with Members and WOAH is committed to ensuring transparent communications throughout the processes. The outcomes of the Specialist Commissions deliberations, as well as all supporting experts’ reports are publicly available on the website.   

Watch these video interviews to learn more about the discussions held during the meetings of the four Specialist Commissions in September:

The report shows a decrease in the use of antimicrobials in the animal health sector, but is this enough to curb the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)?

JYM: We are pleased to see steady progress in the way antimicrobials are used in animals. From 2016 to 2018, the global amounts used in animals have declined by 27%, according to the data¹ reported to our Organisation. These are encouraging results as they show the commitment of the animal health sector, from farmers to veterinarians, to address this global health challenge. These efforts also contribute to protect everyone’s health, as drug-resistant bacteria can spread between and within animals, humans, plants and through the environment.

Yet, much more still needs to be done to fight antimicrobial resistance and preserve the efficacy of these critical medicines. It is important to rely on practices in animal production systems that reduce the need for antibiotics, by preventing diseases in the first place. Biosecurity measures and good animal husbandry can have an enormous impact in reducing the risk of introduction, establishment and spread of infections in animals. Concurrently, appropriate funding needs to be provided to support the research for alternatives to antimicrobial use, including vaccination, for instance.

Core to making more progress is to increase our knowledge and understanding around how, when and why antimicrobials are used worldwide. The database created by the World Organisation for Animal Health in 2015 contributes to this knowledge, as it enables countries to gain a good understanding of their situation and measure progress and efficiency of actions over time.  

Tetracyclines are the most used antibiotics in animal health globally. Why is this happening? Does it pose a risk for the development of resistance?

JYM: Tetracyclines are one of the earliest discovered family of antibiotics. They were found in 1944, not long after penicillin was discovered by Alexandre Fleming. Tetracyclines have a very broad spectrum of activity, meaning that they can act against a wide range of disease-causing bacteria. They are easily available worldwide and much cheaper compared to other broad-spectrum antibiotics (e.g., fluoroquinolones). In terrestrial food-producing animals they can be used as first line treatment to numerous diseases in various species, including large ruminants (listeriosis, mycoplasmosis, etc.), swine (respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, neonatal septicemia, etc.), poultry (respiratory diseases, coccidiosis, arthritis, etc.), among others.

As with every antimicrobial, when tetracyclines are misused or overused, there is a risk to select resistant pathogens. While some studies show a relationship between use in animals and resistance observed in humans, more research is needed to fully understand the implications. AMR is a complex phenomenon that can originate in animal, human or plant populations, and which can then pose a threat to all the other species.

Integrated surveillance, which allows to gather data from across sectors, is essential to monitor and take preventive actions before it is too late. This is why we are working with our Quadripartite partners – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) – to reinforce surveillance at national level, integration of regional and global data, and cross-sectoral analyses.

The report also highlights a decrease in the use of “critical” antimicrobials in animals. What else could be done to preserve the efficacy of these specific antimicrobials that are essential to human medicine?

It is worth emphasising that antimicrobials are important for both human and animal health. In 2006, we developed a list of antimicrobial agents of veterinary importance. Within this list, we provide recommendations to our Members for those antimicrobials that are considered as highest priority and critically important for human health by WHO. The aim of our recommendations is to discourage their use in animals. This means that these critical antimicrobials should not be used as first line treatment unless justified by evidence (e.g., findings of antimicrobial susceptibility testing), or to boost growth in healthy animals, for instance. Yet, in some specific situations, their use may still be necessary to ensure animal health and welfare.

Such list serves as a reference for countries to develop their own guidelines to ensure responsible use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals.

Antibiotics are still used in healthy animals to boost growth in at least 40 countries. What is the position of the World Organisation for Animal Health on this kind of practice?

JYM: Any use of antimicrobials in animals should be in line with our international Standards, which encourage responsible and prudent practices. These evidence-based Standards are published in our Terrestrial and Aquatic Codes. According to these recommendations, the use of antimicrobial agents for growth promotion in the absence of a risk analysis is not deemed to be responsible use. Noteworthy, for those antimicrobials considered as highest priority and critically important by WHO, we do urge Members to phase out their use as growth promoters and explore alternatives to enhance productivity.  

In addition to this, we work closely with veterinary authorities to make sure that these guidelines are adapted and deployed at national level. Equally relevant, we support the development of awareness campaigns to promote the prudent use of antimicrobials and the implementation of good husbandry and biosecurity practices to prevent diseases in animals. 

Why can the data presented in the report not be accessed by country?

JYM: The report provides global and regional overviews of the use of antimicrobials in animals. The data is not broken down by country as the aim of our database is to foster the participation of the greatest number of countries, without pointing out potential gaps in national capacities.

Nevertheless, we do encourage countries to use their available data to better understand their national situation and measure the progress and efficiency of their actions over time. The information collected can be published on national platforms and countries that are already doing this are referenced in the report (Section 11). In the near future, our new interactive and customised online system (ANIMUSE) to collect and report antimicrobial use data will allow countries to explore and analyse their data through an interactive dashboard. 

Can we compare the data on the use of antimicrobials between animals and humans?

JYM: One of the major advances achieved in our data collection and analysis process over the past years, was to be able to adjust the quantities of antimicrobials used in animals to their biomass. This parameter is key to draw relevant comparisons of the amounts of drugs used across different animal species, regions and over time and hopefully soon with humans. Animal biomass is calculated as the total weight of live domestic animals in a given country and year. Since antibiotics are used differently depending on animal species and types of animal production systems, variation in the species composition of regional biomass may explain some of the differences noted in antimicrobial consumption across countries and regions.

However, to date, it is not possible to compare our global data on animals to the quantities of antimicrobials used in the human health sector. While some countries are able to do so (e.g., Canada and countries from the European Union), achieving this at global level is more challenging. To address this gap and have a better picture of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance across sectors, we are collaborating with the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on the development of a joint platform. The latter will have an important role in supporting policy makers in the development of relevant strategies against antimicrobial resistance under the One Health approach.

Could the use of antimicrobials in animals be banned and replaced with vaccines and good animal husbandry practices?

JTM: Vaccines and good animal husbandry are both core measures to prevent disease and are central components of the fight against AMR, but sometimes animals still fall ill and need treatment.

Unfortunately, we do not have vaccines available for all diseases, thus, an outright ban on antimicrobials would be damaging for animal health and welfare, as well as the livelihoods of farming communities. This would consequently have a negative impact on national economies and food security.

Antimicrobials are needed to fight infectious diseases in animal health too. But they must be used in a  responsible manner, only when necessary, when biosecurity and husbandry fail, and when there are no other alternatives available. That’s what we advocate for at the World Organisation for Animal Health.

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¹ Based on the data reported by 72 countries to the World Organisation for Animal Health for all years between 2016 to 2018.

As one of the deadliest zoonoses known to us, rabies still kills around 59,000 people every year, representing both a heavy public health and economic burden. Yet it is 100% preventable if we address the disease through a One Health approach.

One Health, Zero Deaths

Can one sector eliminate rabies on its own? Certainly not.  The COVID-19 pandemic and its long-lasting consequences have reminded us that one sector alone cannot efficiently tackle zoonotic threats, knowing that animal, human and environmental health are intrinsically interconnected. The health of animals impacts our health; it’s everyone’s health. In the case of dog-mediated rabies, only a coordinated response across sectors will allow us to bring the number of human deaths from dog-mediated rabies to zero. This year’s World Rabies Day, themed ‘One Health, Zero Deaths’ aims to strongly reaffirm this message.

In a single bite, a rabid dog can infect a person. Dogs are indeed responsible for 99% of human rabies cases through bites and scratches. It is therefore essential to limit human exposure to rabies by tackling the disease at its animal source. Implementing large scale dog vaccination, promoting responsible dog ownership, and raising awareness of the available solutions are all critical actions against rabies that require a comprehensive and holistic approach.

Cooperation between animal health and human health professionals is crucial.  Not only does it have a positive impact on the livelihood and economy of communities, but also lays the foundations of stronger health systems that have the capacity to respond to zoonotic threats beyond rabies.

One Health for all

Building a coordinated response against rabies will set the path for the control of other zoonotic diseases. When working towards our common goal of “Zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030”, we are not only focusing on the efforts needed in the animal health sector. Pivotal actions are needed from the human health sector, including giving access to human medical care and post-bite treatment, especially in rural areas with limited or nonexistent access to health education campaigns and where 80% of human rabies cases occur.

While we have all the tools to end dog-mediated rabies, including high-quality vaccines for dogs and humans, it has proven difficult to successfully coordinate and invest sufficient resources in its control. Rabies still circulates in two-thirds of the countries worldwide, sustaining poverty in endemic areas. Yet it is rarely targeted by formal surveillance systems. Consequently, the presence of the disease and the related social and economic burden are often greatly underestimated. This, in turn, leads to neglect by policymakers and funding agencies.

Rabies elimination should be better prioritised and investing in its progressive control also offers an opportunity to strengthen public health systems more broadly and to improve equity and access to care for all. Rabies is a very telling example of how operationalising One Health at all levels can contribute to a world that is better able to prevent, predict, detect and respond to health threats, thus improving the health of humans, animals and the environment.

Through the One Health Quadripartite collaboration, formed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE), we collaborate to drive the change required to mitigate the impact of current and future global health challenges. With the objective of supporting countries facing global health threats, we will soon launch our One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA). This framework of actions relies on the One Health approach to strengthen collaboration, communication, capacity building and coordination equally across all sectors responsible for addressing health concerns at the human–animal–environment interface. It notably supports the activities of the United Against Rabies Forum, created in 2020 by the FAO, WHO and WOAH. The Forum brings together governments, vaccine producers, researchers, NGOs and development partners with the aim of accelerating and implementing a One Health approach for rabies control.

The elimination of human deaths from dog-mediated rabies is one of the priorities identified in the OH JPA. We call on countries worldwide to take the necessary steps to ensure a coordinated One Health response to this deadly zoonosis. Rabies may still be fatal, but it is also highly preventable. It only takes a unified effort to make sure that human rabies deaths become history.

New York – Today, The Global Leaders Group co-chairs, Their Excellencies Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, hosted a UN General Assembly side event to discuss and address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with Heads of Government and State, government Ministers and relevant stakeholders. The event was moderated by Global Leaders Group member Christopher Fearne, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health of Malta.

AMR is already a global threat that contributes to almost 5 million deaths per year, while disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries. It poses serious threats to human, animal, plant and environmental health, and severely undermines the sustainability of agri-food systems.

“Urgent action is required to stop the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Without action, we face a future where we will be unable to treat infections in humans, animals and plants. We must work together to protect our medicines” says co-chair of the Global Leader Group on AMR Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

The 2016 Political Declaration of the High-Level meeting of the UN General Assembly on AMR was critical to galvanizing political action while officially recognizing AMR as a global crisis and that preventing and controlling infections are the key to tackling it. Today’s side event was an opportunity to urge political leadership and action on AMR in advance of the UN General Assembly High-level meeting in 2024 that the Global Leaders Group is pleased to have secured to progress global action to mitigate AMR.

“As we continue together towards the High-level meeting in 2024, let us ensure we make an impact and set the course for concrete political action on AMR.” says co-chair of the Global Leader Group on AMR, Her Excellency Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados.

Today’s event was attended by Heads of Government and State, government ministers, stakeholders, and members of the Quadripartite comprised of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). While this side event was critical to continue the discussion of developing and implementing national action plans to address AMR, the Global Leaders Group urges all Heads of Government and State to build on this political momentum and continue to engage on AMR across all sectors with urgency and include it in all aspects of their work. The G7 and G20 countries particularly have a special role to catalyze and galvanize the global response against AMR.

“It is encouraging to see AMR as a consistent agenda item in G7 and G20 presidencies.” says member of the Global Leaders Group on AMR, Christopher Fearne, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health of Malta. “This momentum has to be consolidated with urgency and specific commitments.” he adds.

The Global Leaders Group has been calling for specific actions from G7 and G20 countries that include fully funding their own national action plans on AMR, contributing to fund multi-sectoral national action plans of resource-limited countries through support to existing financial structures, financially supporting the AMR Multi-Partner Trust Fund, supporting financial incentives and mechanisms for the development of new antimicrobials (particularly antibiotics), vaccines, diagnostics, waste management tools, and safe and effective alternatives to antimicrobials, with a defined timeline and following through on their existing AMR commitments and finally, monitoring their progress annually.

In their respective roles, the members of the Global Leaders Group will continue to advocate for political leadership on this issue in every country and collaborate globally to address AMR through a One Health approach across the human, animal, plant and environment health sectors. For more information, please visit  www.amrleaders.org.

For inquiries, please contact the Global Leaders Group secretariat at [email protected]