World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024 showcases Ethiopia’s progress in tackling AMR through a One Health approach

Addis Ababa – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) celebrated World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024 by emphasizing the need for a collaborative One Health approach to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The week-long activities highlighted the critical role of the agrifood sector in AMR prevention and control, including the responsible use of antimicrobials, strengthened surveillance, and sustainable farming practices.

On 20 November 2024, a high-level panel discussion brought together higher officials from multisectoral ministries (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Ethiopian Environment Protection Authority),development partners and UN sister Agencies  including FAO, the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

During the event, representing the FAO’s Representative in Ethiopia, Workicho Jateno, Assistant FAO Representative in Ethiopia, highlighted FAO’s role in supporting Ethiopia’s fight against AMR : “FAO is proud to support Ethiopia in its fight against AMR.” He added, “By working together across sectors, we are strengthening national capacities to address this global threat while ensuring sustainable and resilient agrifood systems.”

Besides the high level panel discussion, on 22 November 2024, a workshop was held in Bishoftu, bringing together government officials, private sector representatives, and technical experts to discuss strategies and challenges in the agrifood sector and to promote knowledge-sharing, and agree on concrete actions to address AMR in Ethiopia, fostering collaboration across sectors to ensure effective implementation.

Empowering the Agrifood Sector to Tackle AMR

Ethiopia’s commitment to combatting AMR is guided by its Third One Health Strategic Plan on AMR Prevention and Containment (2021–2025), made possible with FAO’s technical and financial support. FAO is also helping Ethiopia to strengthen its AMR surveillance capacity by introducing the International FAO Antimicrobial Resistance System (InFARM), an innovative platform designed to generate, analyze, and share AMR data globally. Ethiopia recently was enrolled into the system, with national laboratory experts receiving specialized training as part of a regional capacity-building programme.

FAO’s efforts in Ethiopia align with its global mission to tackle AMR through strengthened capacities, enhanced coordination, and sustainable practices. The agrifood sector plays a pivotal role in preventing AMR, and the WAAW activities demonstrated how education, advocacy, and action can drive meaningful change.

The WAAW 2024 activities in Ethiopia were supported by USAID, through FAO’s ECTAD programme. Together, these efforts highlight the critical importance of investing in health security to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

For further information, please contact:

Emmanuel Kihaule

FAO Ethiopia

International Communications Specialist

Email: [email protected]

Yanira Santana

Emergency Reporting and Outreach

FAO ECTAD Africa

Email : [email protected]

Kuastros Belaynehe

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Expert

FAO Ethiopia

Email: [email protected]