Short working title: FAO-USAID Regional Project on AMR in Asia

Full project title: Addressing Antimicrobial Usage in Asia’s Livestock, Aquaculture and Crop Production Systems (OSRO/RAS/502/USA)

Donor: USA

Focus Countries: Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam

Focus Sub-regions: ASEAN and SAARC

Period: 1 October 2015—31 December 2021

Contact person (division): Mary Joy Gordoncillo (RAP, ECTAD)

Objectives: Promote a more prudent use of antimicrobial in the livestock and aquaculture production industries as well as the crop production sector in Asia leading to minimizing the likelihood of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) development and spread.

Activities and outputs:

Output 1: Improved understanding and documentation of antimicrobial use (AMU) in agriculture specifically in the livestock and aquaculture production industry and the crop production sector

• Collaborations and partnerships on AMU documentation in agriculture
• Characterizing AMU in the livestock sector
• Characterizing AMU in the aquaculture sector
• Characterizing antibiotic consumption in citrus trees and other crops
• Characterizing the antimicrobial supply chain in Southeast Asia;
• Development of Antimicrobial resistance policy review and development framework

Ongoing works: Regional AMR Monitoring and Surveillance Guidelines Volume 5: Monitoring AMU at the farm level; industry antimicrobial supply chain in Southeast Asia; and overview of antimicrobial use in crops

Output 2: Enhanced awareness and heightened advocacy measures amongst target groups of AMR impacts and AMU best practices

• Streamlining of FAO Regional AMR communication and advocacy strategy
• Development of regional communication toolkit on AMR
• Production of AMR information and communication materials, including technical assistance on materials and strategy development to countries.
• Technical support in the development and implementation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Communication Strategy on AMR.
• Collaboration with international partners on communication and advocacy campaigns, events and products such as the AMR videos produced with the Regional offices of OIE, WHO and UNEP in Asia and the Pacific (2019, 2020)   
• Advocacy campaigns on AMR including on social media 
• Annual Celebration of the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW). 

Ongoing works: Communication and advocacy on raising awareness on AMR and related threats and promoting responsible AMU; supporting countries in their AMR awareness and advocacy campaigns; Regional WAAW Toolkit; and review of KAP+ tool;; KAP meta-analysis, TOT on KAP+, TOT on behavioral change, Development of a summary paper on how AMR awareness in the region has transformed over the past 5 years 

Output 3: Continued and strengthened engagement of established networks/platforms for the promotion of antimicrobial  stewardship in Asia 

• The First Regional Antimicrobial Stewardship Forum

• Development of a preliminary tool to assess Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in the animal production sector (Agri-IPC/Agri-WASH)
• Investigation of the current state of adherence of pig and poultry farms to recommended practices on prudent use of antimicrobials 
• Investigation of the overarching national governance and reinforcing environment on the practice of prudent use of antimicrobials in livestock 
• Framework for multi-sectoral coordination contributing to the monitoring of National Strategic Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (Thailand)
• Current practices in aquaculture

Ongoing works: Refinement of Agri-IPC/Agri-WASH tools; building the library of documented evidence-based interventions in the Region; multi-country initiative on promoting good practices and prudent use of antimicrobials in food and agriculture systems; engagement of the Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations (FAVA) and development of their AMR strategy. 

Output 4: Strengthened capacities in surveillance and heightened implementation of the same in selected countries

• Regional Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Monitoring and Surveillance Guidelines Series 
  • o   Volume 1: Monitoring and surveillance of AMR in bacteria from healthy animals intended for consumption 
  • o   Volume 2: Monitoring and surveillance of AMR in bacterial pathogens from diseased livestock and poultry  
  • o   Volume 3: Monitoring and surveillance of AMR in aquaculture 
  • o   Volume 4: Monitoring and surveillance of AMR in animal environment  
  • o   Volume 5: Monitoring antimicrobial use at the farm level  
• Regional AMR data management templates:
  • o   For AMR monitoring and surveillance in bacteria from healthy animals intended for consumption  
  • o   For AMR monitoring and surveillance in bacteria diseased livestock and poultry
  • o   For AMR surveillance in bacteria from aquaculture
• Other tools developed: AMR surveillance planning template, Regionally-customized microbroth dilution plates, AMR Surveillance implementation Review 
• Systematic assessment of AMR surveillance systems and laboratories in food and agriculture using the ATLASS tool
• Building and supporting networks of scientific expertise on AMR surveillance in the Region through 
  • Regional Community of ATLASS Assessors
  • Technical Advisory Groups (TAG) for Southeast Asia and South Asia
  • Technical Working Groups for specific themes
  • FAO-OIE Coordination Group of leading AMR Institutions in the Asia-Pacific Region
  • Providing access to international AMR experts and other relevant expertise
  • Facilitating access to the FAO Reference Laboratories

• Progressive strengthening of AMR laboratories in the Region through:
  • • Regional trainings on antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST)
    • Proficiency testing
    • Country backstopping

• Supporting the design, implementation, and further improvement of the national AMR surveillance in agriculture
• Identifying technical issues arising from early implementation of AMR surveillance and finding innovative solutions to address these 

Ongoing works: Advancing the work on the series of Regional AMR Monitoring and Surveillance Guidelines; collaboration with WHONET to address current gaps in AMR data management in food and agriculture; proficiency testing for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (PTAST 2020); addressing the lack of veterinary clinical breakpoints for priority livestock pathogens in the Region; and synthesis of AMR surveillance findings in the Region

Output 5: Establishment/Development of an antimicrobial residue monitoring programme in livestock and livestock products

• Consultation with ASEAN Food Reference Laboratory on establishing national residue monitoring programmes in livestock and livestock products
• Exploratory work on residue laboratory assessment
• Collaborations established for residue assessment
• Webinar on assessment tool for antimicrobial residues

Ongoing works: Development of assessment tool for antimicrobial residues; piloting of the assessment tool for antimicrobial residues; e-learning on antimicrobial residue monitoring for national stakeholders; expanded piloting of the assessment tool for antimicrobial residues; and guidance materials on antimicrobial residue monitoring programme.