Lexicon of antimicrobial resistance terminology now available in 11 languages

FAO has developed a lexicon of commonly used words on the topic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to better align technical internal communications and materials for external audiences. The terms are now available in all six official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish), as well as other languages. 

”Having a clear and precise definitions of words, and using them carefully, is particularly important when diverse stakeholders engage in discussion so that everyone has the same understanding of the intended message,” said Jeffrey LeJeune, FAO Food Safety Officer, who led the working group to define the terms.    

“Words matter,” said Jorge Pinto Ferreira, FAO Food Safety Officer. “Considering the complexity of the AMR issue, having harmonized terminology is a helpful contribution when working together in the fight against AMR,” he said.

The lexicon is also available in languages spoken in countries where the “Action to support implementation of Codex AMR Texts (ACT)” project is taking place: Khmer, Korean, Mongolian, and Nepali. It will be available in Punjabi and Urdu soon. 

Foodborne AMR is a food safety issue. The implementation of Codex standards reduces the emergence and transmission of AMR in food systems, enhancing safety and fair trade. 

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Terms in English – https://www.fao.org/3/cb9414en/cb9414en.pdf

In the following languages: 

Arabic – https://www.fao.org/3/cb9414ar/cb9414ar.pdf  

Chinese – http://www.fao.org/3/cb9414zh/cb9414zh.pdf  

French – http://www.fao.org/3/cb9414fr/cb9414fr.pdf  

Khmer – https://www.fao.org/3/cb9414km/cb9414km.pdf  

Korean – http://www.fao.org/3/cb9414ko/cb9414ko.pdf  

Mongolian – http://www.fao.org/3/cb9414mn/cb9414mn.pdf  

Nepali - http://www.fao.org/3/cb9414ne/cb9414ne.pdf 

Portuguese - http://www.fao.org/3/cb9414pt/cb9414pt.pdf  

Russian – http://www.fao.org/3/cb9414ru/cb9414ru.pdf  

Spanish – http://www.fao.org/3/cb9414es/cb9414es.pdf 

The terms in English are also published on the FAO Term Portal https://www.fao.org/faoterm/en/ 

For more information about the ACT project, please visit here: https://www.fao.org/antimicrobial-resistance/projects/ongoing/project-10/en/