The AMR Codex Texts (ACT) project now has national coordinators in Bolivia, Cambodia, Colombia and Nepal. Jorge Berrios (Bolivia), Ana Carrizosa (Colombia) and Sakar Shivakoti (Nepal) are veterinarians with extensive experience in health management and inter-institutional coordination. Pisey Oum (Cambodia) brings his knowledge in biosafety, biotechnology and food assessment from different UN organizations. 

“We need to know more in-depth about the current situation of the use of antimicrobials in Bolivia. This will allow us to plan better the actions in reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and create awareness, also strengthen national capacities to address AMR in the agriculture and food sectors,” said Jorge Berrios, National Coordinator in Bolivia, who previously worked as a National Head of Animal Health of the National Agricultural Health and Food Safety Service in the Bolivian government.  

Ana Carrizosa, Coordinator in Colombia, said that although today Colombia is positioned as a leader in the Andean region in the fight against AMR, there are still challenges that the country faces to implement the Codex standards and texts, and this project will help them. For the past nine years, Carrizosa has held the position of Senior Specialist to coordinate projects related to the livestock sector in FAO Colombia and has led the formulation and implementation of projects at national level. 

“Thanks to this project, food safety will be improved, and the export of agricultural products will be complying with Codex standards in Cambodia. Also, this project will help to reduce the number of deaths through awareness raising, improve laboratory capacity for detecting and performing surveillance on AMR, and level up the governance and accountability of any import and export procedures of agricultural products,” said Pisey Oum, National Coordinator in Cambodia, who has over 16 years of experience in coordinating various UN projects.  

Sakar Shivakoti from Nepal believes that the ACT project can strengthen the solidarity among the key stakeholders in containing and minimizing foodborne antimicrobial resistance by using the One Health approach. “The Government of Nepal has undertaken several measures to fight against the challenges of AMR in the country, however, we are hopeful that this project will allow us to enhance the national capacities and raise awareness,” added S. Shivakoti, who has invested his career in safeguarding animal and public health through his strong academic research background and inter-disciplinary coordination for community development.  

The new FAO project, supported by the Republic of Korea, works to help with the implementation of Codex standards globally and locally, especially those related to the containment and reduction of foodborne AMR and monitoring and surveillance of antimicrobial use and resistance. Besides Bolivia, Cambodia, Colombia and Nepal, the project will also lead to better management of foodborne AMR in Mongolia and Pakistan. By improving access to international markets and protecting consumers against the risks of AMR, the project will contribute to more inclusive, safe and efficient food systems.

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ACT project details

Pictured left to right: Pisey Oum, Ana Carrizosa, Sakar Shivakoti, Jorge Berrios