During World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2020 (WAAW), FAO shares with the Latin American and Caribbean region the tools it has developed to support the containment of AMR in the food and agriculture sectors. The tools jointly contribute to achieving a cross-sectoral approach to AMR and are as follows:

• Progressive Management Pathway for AMR (FAO-PMP-AMR)
• FAO Assessment Tool for Laboratories and AMR Surveillance Systems (FAO-ATLASS)
• Methodology for the analysis AMR- relevant Legislation in the Food and Agriculture, Guidance Document for Regulators
• FAO Tool for a Situation Analysis of AMR Risks in the Food and agriculture sectors.

Representatives of the FAO AMR team present at different events: in Bolivia, on general aspects of the four available tools, while in the English-speaking Caribbean the objectives, methodology and results of the PMP tool are studied in depth. In Costa Rica, this information was disseminated as a preparatory stage for the next implementation of the PMP during 2021.

FAO-PMP-AMR implementation in Caribbean countries

On 19 November, representatives from Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago and St. Lucia participated in the first virtual webinar on the FAO Progressive Management Pathway for Antimicrobial Resistance (FAO-PMP-AMR) Tool.

This was the second FAO-PMP-AMR workshop held in the Caribbean, the first occurred in St. Kitts in November 2019. 

FAO is supporting Member Countries in strengthening their capacities to manage Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) risks in food and agriculture sectors. Through the implementation of the FAO Action Plan on AMR, support has been provided through expertise in aquatic and terrestrial animal health and production, food and feed safety, genetic resources, crop production, natural resource management, risk communication and behaviour change in the scope of National Action Plans (NAPs).  

In this context, FAO-PMP-AMR was developed to assist Members in the development and implementation of NAPs. By applying the FAO-PMP-AMR, countries and specific sectors can make improvements towards an optimal and sustainable use of antimicrobials.   

The application of FAO-PMP-AMR has been modified to adapt to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by a series of workshops that will be delivered online followed by a face-to-face PMP animal sector assessment when possible. This workshop series is planned to provide detailed introduction, training and eventually in-country assessment. 

This first workshop of the series was moderated by Dr. Patricia Bedford (FAO Barbados).  Drs. Junxia Song and Koen Mintiens (FAO HQ) presented on FAO’s work on AMR and FAO-PMP-AMR respectively. 

The next webinar will focus on the National Action Plan and will occur early in 2021.

Read more about: http://www.fao.org/antimicrobial-resistance/projects/ongoing/project-6/en/

Video: "Webinario en conmemoración a la Semana Mundial de Concienciación sobre el Uso de los Antibióticos"