Title of the project: Reducing the advance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in food and agriculture

Status: Ongoing

Donor: Russian Federation

Target Countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan

Period: April 2017 to November 2023

Objectives: The project aims to engage the food and agriculture sector in selected countries to support the development and implementation of National Action Plans (NAPs) on AMR, with a focus on several key factors: strengthening regulatory platforms and legislation; capacity of national laboratories to collect and use data on antimicrobial use (AMU), AMR and antimicrobial residues; improving practices to minimize the need for and use of antimicrobials and to prevent transmission of AMR along the food chain; and strategic advocacy and multi-sectoral coordination for a One Health approach to address the risks of AMR to people, animals, plants and the environment.

Activities and outputs:

Activities will be tailored to country needs based on situation analysis and local needs assessments.

Output 1: Regulatory/legal framework and policies regarding the use of antimicrobials in food industry, agriculture, fisheries and animal farming aimed at strengthening of national policies in the field of antimicrobial resistance and the use of antimicrobial agents in targeted countries are revised.

• Conduct a baseline assessment of AMU data and generate a country situation analysis.
• Develop methodology to undertake surveys among all agriculture sector/stakeholders on antimicrobial use (volume and purpose) and awareness across the livestock, poultry and apiculture sectors and analyse results.
• Review the national legislation relevant to antimicrobial resistance and produce national and regional reports, including recommendations to strengthen the regulatory frameworks/address legal gaps to better address AMU and AMR 

Output 2: Capacity of national laboratories and surveillance capabilities strengthened and equipped with appropriate infrastructures. 

• Conduct national AMR surveillance and detection capacities and laboratories assessments in selected countries using the FAO Assessment Tool for Laboratories and AMR Surveillance Systems (ATLASS)
• Conduct a training on standards (good practices and protocols) and tools/guidelines to support laboratory testing and compilation of data (e.g. for phenotype profile, for strain inventory and repository) and carry out annual proficiency testing on antibiotics susceptibility testing.
• Conduct national consultations to support and strategize actions towards development of integrated surveillance systems in human-animal-environmental interface on AMR.
• Initiate the process for establishing national and regional laboratory network on AMR surveillance for food and agriculture
• Initiate the process for establishing Reference laboratory (reference centre) of FAO for AMR in donor country and support to national laboratories for AMR.
• Generate, collate, and analyse harmonized and standardized AMR surveillance data at national, regional and global levels and among relevant sectors 

Output 3: Multisectoral coordination facilitated and strategic advocacy on the risks related to AMR for humans, food, animals, plants and the environment conducted.

• Support the organization of an International Conference on Risk Assessment and Food Safety in Russian Federation.
• Develop advocacy tools (in English and Russian and target country national language) to support AMR awareness
• Convene national multistakeholder consultations (i.e. via national workshops) with the purpose of identifying needs and gaps to be considered when drafting a national strategy to reduce the threat of AMR as well as roles and responsibilities. Support the establishment of multistakeholder working groups to develop and improve the NAPs for AMR prevention.
• Convene a regional One Health event on awareness raising at regional/subregional level (in collaboration with OIE and WHO, where feasible) to support the development of One Health action plans and identify countries with the need for one-on-one support.
• Support the organization of events aimed at raising awareness on AMR such as the Antibiotic Awareness Week in close collaboration with WHO and OIE.
• Utilize the Progressive Management Pathway for AMR (FAO-PMP-AMR) for the food and agriculture sector to asses countries status and progress on the implementation of their National Action Plans on AMR
• Develop national action plans for AMR risk mitigation
• Organize Regional Conference on AMR based on the results of Conference in Sochi in 2017 and on key conclusions, most relevant for the region, from FAO/WHO International Conference that will take place in April 2019.