It is critical to improve laboratory surveillance capacity for AMR through training and mentoring activities to detect AMR accurately and promptly, conduct surveillance for AMR priority pathogens and establish efficient epidemiological AMR surveillance data management.

In addition, countries can mitigate the threat posed by AMR through a One Health approach by creating a platform for laboratory training and experience sharing involving all stakeholders and sectors to strengthen the capacity and capabilities of human and animal health diagnostic laboratories and environmental laboratories.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports countries in building and consolidating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance and laboratory capacities. This support helps countries to generate, collect and analyse high-quality epidemiological data and interpret the results within the framework of national AMR surveillance systems in food and agriculture sectors, and to interpret the findings.

With the aim of improving AMR surveillance capacities across One Health sectors, FAO Ethiopia supported for the organization of the laboratory training in title  “Isolation and Identification of Priority Pathogens, Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) and AMR Surveillance” for regional, national and private laboratories from 18 to 23 July 2022 in Sebeta, Ethiopia.

The training took place at the laboratory facilities of the Animal Health Institute (AHI), which is under the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). Participants were from both the public and private sectors - EthioChicken PLC private laboratory participated - and formed a public private partnership (PPP), that will contribute to provide better public services through improved operational efficiency.

“This training will enable animal, environmental, private and human health laboratory staff to improve their awareness and understanding of the basic principles of AMR surveillance, increase their laboratory diagnostic capacity, recognize the impact of AMR on individuals and society, and understand why AMR is a major human health concern” said Tesfaye Rufael, AHI’s General Director, in his welcoming remarks. 

The deputy team leader of the FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) team, Nega Tewolde, highlighted that there are challenges related to the technical skills of experts and laboratories to implement AMR surveillance activities. To this end, FAO remains committed to supporting the national efforts to contain AMR by providing technical and financial support to national and regional laboratories.

This training improved data collection and management in national public and private laboratories, which will support integrated surveillance and monitoring of AMR trends and antimicrobial consumption. In addition, these laboratories have strengthened their AMR and AST detection methodologies (for human health, animal health and environmental sectors).

Working together towards AMR surveillance sustainability

Public private partnerships (PPs) can be a means of strengthening veterinary services and improving animal health programmes. Effective public-private partnerships can contribute to a more efficient use of available resources or to an expansion of veterinary health coverage, especially in remote areas. Private sector engagement and participation in the fight against AMR can improve capacities for responsible and prudent use of antimicrobials, as well as national and regional reference laboratories and detection methodologies for AMR and AST.

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Related links 

• Antimicrobial Resistance | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (fao.org)
• The International FAO Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring (InFARM) System | Antimicrobial Resistance | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• Animal health | Antimicrobial Resistance | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (fao.org)