Pakistan has successfully developed its 2nd National Action Plan (NAP) on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which will be active to 2028. AMR presents a growing threat to global health, food safety, and sustainable development. Recognizing the urgent need to address this challenge, as reconfirmed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance 2024, the FAO-supported Action to support implementation of Codex AMR texts (ACT) project has extended vital support to the Government of Pakistan in strengthening [...]

A consultation meeting, held on 12 March, has heard a report on the progress of the FAO-implemented Action to support implementation of Codex AMR texts (ACT) project over the last year. In the meeting, the ACT project team detailed to representatives from the project donor, the Republic of Korea, the activities and achievements that took place in 2024. The project aims at improving monitoring and surveillance, governance and awareness of foodborne AMR and is being implemented in Bolivia (Plurinational State [...]

Great progress was made in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the Plurinational State of Bolivia at the end of January, when officials and professionals met to agree on next steps for introducing e-prescriptions for veterinary antimicrobial drugs. The move is a bid to combat the threat of foodborne AMR in the country by restricting access to and overuse of some drugs, which are becoming ineffective against some bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic organisms, causing a threat to life. The [...]

A recent surveillance study of foodborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Cambodia has revealed an urgent need for stricter regulations on antimicrobial use in the country’s livestock sector. Carried out under the FAO-implemented and Republic of Korea-funded Action to support implementation of Codex AMR texts (ACT) project, the study also underscores the importance of routine AMR monitoring, and the adoption of targeted interventions, such as improved biosecurity measures and vaccination programmes, to reduce the need of antibiotics and mitigate the spread [...]

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is taking place this week, 18–24 November, in order to raise awareness globally not only about the threats posed by the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but of the ways in which we can collectively tackle the problem.  AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial agents, such as antibiotics. As a result, antimicrobial drugs become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, [...]

María de los Angeles Gatica is the regional coordinator for the Action to support implementation of Codex AMR texts (ACT) project, which helps countries contain foodborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR). She is one of the youngest project leaders across FAO. We spoke to her about her role and about what has motivated her to help the ACT project to its impressive successes so far. Can you tell us about your personal background? I grew up in a rural community on the outskirts of [...]

The Joint ACT/FF3 meeting took place in Siem Reap, Cambodia, from November 4–8. The “Action to Support Implementation of Codex AMR Texts (ACT)” project, funded by the Republic of Korea, and the FAO Fleming Fund 3 (FF3) global initiative, funded by the United Kingdom’s Fleming Fund, came together for their first joint meeting to share experiences and challenges, foster mutual learning, and plan collaboratively for the year ahead. Cambodia was highlighted as a model country due to its active involvement in [...]

Three videos have been produced that describe the FAO-implemented and Republic of Korea-funded Action to support implementation of Codex AMR texts (ACT) project and demonstrate some of the successes of the project in the Plurinational State of Bolivia. The first video provides an overview of the Project, describing the four key areas in which improvement will help drive the fight against foodborne antimicrobial resistance. Those four project components promote improved awareness, monitoring and surveillance, governance, and good practices. In the video, [...]

On 4 October 2024, a training session on "Codex Alimentarius International Food Standards and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)" was organized by the FAO-implemented and Republic of Korea-funded Action to Support Implementation of Codex AMR Texts (ACT) project, in collaboration with the Mongolian Food Industry Union. The event took place at the "Suu" joint-stock company, with the participation of more than 50 representatives from the food production and import sectors. The primary objective of the training was to enhance participants' knowledge and understanding [...]

Since 2022, Codex secretariats and FAO officers have been providing specialized training to new government officers entering the field of Codex work. This year, four Codex and FAO officers participated in a training programme organized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of the Republic of Korea, held on 26 September. Nearly 40 young officers from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries attended [...]