Development of the Jamaica Integrated Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Monitoring and Surveillance Programme for the Agriculture Sector

Jamaica joined the world in celebrating World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, which ran from 18-24 November, 2020, via hosting of six AMR workshops on various livestock species to highlight the importance of antimicrobial resistance and gather information for the development of an Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance programme for the livestock sector. The animal production meetings were held from November 18-26 with participation by government officials from the Ministries of Agriculture and Health and Wellness, the private sector, farmer organization representatives and members of academia.

The development of this surveillance programme is a joint effort by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in Jamaica in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). The primary goal is to increase the knowledge of the participants on what is AMR and why Jamaica needs a surveillance programme - using standards and guidelines developed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the WHO Advisory Group on Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (AGISAR) and Codex - to minimize the public health impact of AMR associated with the use of antimicrobials in food animals. The surveillance programme will cover priority animal production systems (poultry, pork, beef, small ruminants, eggs, raw milk/cheese, fish), points along the food chain, the types of bacteria or other microorganisms to be monitored and the mechanisms for carrying out this surveillance.

AMR Workshop with IICA consultant Dr. Gabriela Carruyo, chair of the Codex subsidiary committee for Jamaica AMR working group Dr. Suzan McLennon-Miguel, government officials from the Ministries of Agriculture and Health and Wellness, private sector, members of academia, farmer organization and processing plant representatives met via Zoom.

The programme will enable government authorities to gain a better understanding of antimicrobial usage at the farm level, antimicrobial resistance trends along the food chain and the sources of food borne disease infections related to animal production. The government of Jamaica and its stakeholders in these food industries expressed their commitment after the workshop to join in the fight against AMR. 

Read more

Codex work on AMR

Codex standards and AMR - infographic

Is AMR a food safety issue? Interview with Jeff LeJeune, FAO Food Safety Officer

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week in FAO

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week in WHO