The Food and Agriculture of the United Nations, Pakistan organized a Progressive Management Pathway (PMP) workshop on Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from October 24-26, 2022 in Islamabad. The workshop was organized to assess the implementation status of FAO’s action plan on AMR. Workshop also aimed at identifying gaps and engaging food and agriculture stakeholders in the implementation of the National Action Plan. More than 50 delegates from human health, animal health, agriculture sector, poultry, dairy and pharmaceutical industry from across the country participated in the workshop.

Prof. Dr. Maj. Gen. Aamer Ikram, Executive Director, National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad was the chief guest at the closing ceremony. He told the participants that NIH being the national AMR focal point is keen to engage partners from agriculture, veterinary and environmental health sectors. NIH is regularly publishing AMR newsletter on quarterly basis. The newsletter equal represents human, animal and environmental health sectors. He appreciated the efforts done by FAO- Pakistan under the ACT project and full assistance by NIH.

Mr. Farrukh Toirov, Deputy Representative FAO Pakistan, Dr. Peter Flanagan, Regional Coordinator, FAO RAP Office, Dr. Jorge Pinto Ferreira, Food Safety Officer FAO Head Quarter, Rome, Dr. Muhammad Akram, Animal Husbandry Commissioner/ Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO), Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MoNFSR), Dr. Muhammad Abubakar, National AMR Focal Person (Livestock), Dr. Muhammad Farooq Tareen, Director Planning, Livestock and Dairy Development Department, Balochistan, Dr. Qurban Ali, Veterinary Representative, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) Dr. Zaffar Mahmood, Food Safety Consultant, Dr. Muhammad Afzal, Livestock Advisor, FAO Pakistan, and Dr. Farooq Tahir, National Project Coordinator, FAO Pakistan were among the other guest speakers at the workshop. Collectively, all these speakers highlighted the complex nature of AMR, identified key areas, need for surveillance, and the importance of active involvement and engagement of all the stakeholders.

Participants were also engaged PMP tool learning. Yu Qiu, PMP Workshop Facilitator from FAO Head Quarter, Rome introduced the PMP tool to the participants. All the participants worked on PMP tools during the course of the workshop. According to the findings shared at the end of the workshop; Pakistan has done significant work on the awareness and evidence of AMR. There are some shortcomings in governance and practices for which concrete steps are needed to be taken.  

The FAO-PMP-AMR covers the activities that should be implemented in countries in a progressive manner to achieve full monitoring, prevention, and control of AMR as well as prudent Antimicrobial Use (AMU) in the food and agriculture sectors.