On 3 June 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of Gujarat, organized a state-level advocacy workshop on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) under the European Union (EU) AMR Tripartite project. The workshop welcomed over 50 stakeholders from the animal health, human health, environment, fisheries, and drug regulation sectors, and focused on operationalizing the animal health component of Gujarat’s State Action Plan for Containment of AMR (SAPCAR-G).

Discussions emphasized the importance of preventing animal diseases to reduce antimicrobial use, ensuring the rational use of critical drugs, promoting ethnoveterinary medicines (EVMs) and probiotics as effective alternatives, strengthening integrated laboratory networks, and scaling up AMR and antimicrobial use (AMU) surveillance. Stakeholders also explored strategies for capacity building and data harmonization to enhance the state’s AMR response.

Participants engaged in group activities to assess Gujarat’s progress, identify key challenges, and propose roadmaps aligned with SAPCAR-G. The workshop also featured knowledge-sharing on successful One Health surveillance initiatives, such as the Network Program on Antimicrobial Resistance, Superbugs & One Health, led by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC).

The mission also included a visit to Gujarat’s AMR and disease diagnostic laboratory to assess data-sharing mechanisms, identify operational challenges, and recommend technical interventions to strengthen AMR surveillance in the animal health sector.

The workshop reaffirmed Gujarat’s commitment to addressing AMR and emphasized the need for multisectoral coordination, improved surveillance infrastructure, and community-level action. FAO reiterated its continued support to the Government of Gujarat in implementing locally driven, evidence-based strategies that protect both animal and public health.