Antimicrobial Resistance

About AMR

What is it?
What is it?
FAO's role
FAO's role
Who we are
Who we are
Key sectors
Key sectors

Antimicrobial drugs are key in the treatment of diseases, and their use is essential to protect both human and animal health. However, antimicrobials misuse in the livestock sector, aquaculture and crop production is a major concern as a risk for emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistant micro-organisms.

Key facts

In 2019, 5 million human deaths were associated by bacterial antimicrobial resistance worldwide, including 1.3 million human deaths attributable to bacterial AMR (The Lancet)

27 different antimicrobial classes used in animals

Total global animal health market in 2011 was equivalent to USD 22 billion (OECD)

118 countries reported quantitative data on antimicrobial use in animals between 2015 and 2017, an increase from 89 reporting in 2015

Publications

Codex texts provide a pathway for global action on foodborne AMR

Codex AMR texts are recognized as a key resource for governments to monitor the threat of AMR in food, and to ensure its spread is reduced and contained to the extent possible. This article outlines [...]

InFARM guide for reporting information on antimicrobial use in plants

This publication supports countries to use the new questionnaire on AMU in plants for reporting to InFARM. It covers why it is important to take part in this data collection and how to properly gather [...]

Five key messages to prevent AMR in aquaculture farms

The Action to support implementation of Codex AMR texts (ACT) project supports countries to slow and contain the spread of foodborne antimicrobial resistance. This is one of a series of communications assets produced by the [...]

News

Combating antimicrobial resistance in plant and aquaculture sectors through One Health integration

Expanding the AMR fight beyond animals: integrating plant and aquaculture sectors Kadoma - Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasingly recognized as a critical challenge to global health and agrifood systems, threatening productivity, trade, and environmental integrity. While Zimbabwe has [...]

Combating antimicrobial resistance in the poultry value chain through the farmer field schools approach

Transforming poultry farming and curbing AMR risks through participatory learning   Harare - Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a natural phenomenon in which micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites develop the ability to survive exposure to antimicrobial agents, rendering [...]

FAO reinforces regional efforts to curb antimicrobial resistance at Moscow food safety conference

As the world marks World AMR Awareness Week, FAO reaffirmed its strong commitment to tackling AMR across Europe and Central Asia during the closing day of the second International Conference on Food Safety and Joint [...]

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