FAO Director-General QU Dongyu visited the FAO Reference Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) hosted by the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand’s oldest higher education institution.

Speaking on the second day of his three-day visit to Bangkok, QU noted that FAO had long enjoyed close cooperation with Chulalongkorn University and recalled that he personally had designated the institution as the first reference laboratory for AMR in November 2019, a few months after taking up office as FAO Director-General.

During Qu’s visit, the Faculty of Veterinary Science was formally renewed as FAO Reference Center for AMR for another four years.

In his welcoming remarks, Professor Bundhit Eua-arporn, President of Chulalongkorn University, described the global rise in Antimicrobial Resistance as posing a significant threat, with drug resistant infections impacting the health of animals and plants, reducing agricultural productivity and threatening food security.

During his visit, Qu participated in the collection of specimen samples, the preparation of samples for testing using ‘streaking’ with patterns on a petri dish, and the analysis of laboratory results. The Director-General also observed the analysis of data generated from various laboratories for policy decisions.

The centre hosted by Chulalongkorn University currently serves as the only FAO Reference Centre on AMR in Asia and the Pacific region, and one of only nine worldwide.

FAO collaboration

FAO collaborates with Chulalongkorn University to develop regional guidelines on AMR, conduct assessments of national surveillance capacities, improve quality assurance of diagnosis at country level through provisions of proficiency testing and trainings, and harmonize, analyze, and disseminate data for policy decisions.

Continuing cooperation will aim to increase awareness and engagement of partners on AMR, strengthen surveillance and research, promote good practices and the responsible use of antimicrobials, and improving governance, in alignment with the FAO Action Plan on AMR. 

You can find out more about FAO’s work on AMR here.