Regional Laboratory Network on Antimicrobial Resistance forum held in Bishkek

On 9–10 September, the 4th Annual Consultative Meeting of the Regional Laboratory Network on Antimicrobial Resistance in food and agriculture in Eastern Europe, Transcaucasia and Central Asia (EECCA) countries was held.

The meeting was organized by the Department of Disease Prevention and State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic with the organizational support of the FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation, FAO Office in the Kyrgyz Republic and the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor.

For the first time, the Network gathered its participants in Bishkek – the three previous meetings were held in the FAO Moscow Office. This time, more than 50 regional and international participants arrived in the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic: representatives of the Quadripartite collaboration’s organizations – FAO, WHO, UNEP and WOAH, member states of the EECCA countries’ Network: the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and for the first time – the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Antimicrobial resistance: global and regional threat

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that even local issues can very fast become global ones, and antimicrobial resistance is one more ‘quiet pandemic’, which threatens not only healthcare, but also food systems, agriculture and health of the environment around us. Countering requires joint concerted action. These are such meetings that lay a foundation for coordinated solutions,” noted Oleg Kobiakov, Director of the FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation, in his welcoming speech.

Vasiliy Akimkin, Director of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, RAS academician, in his video message, highlighted the importance of high laboratory potential for timely detection of pathogens and their antibiotic resistance spectrum.

Kyrgyzstan’s National Priorities

Opening the meeting, Bubuzhan Arykbaeva, Deputy Minister of Health and Chief Public Health Officer of the Kyrgyz Republic, emphasized the importance of limiting the uncontrolled use of antibiotics in livestock and crop production, as well as the need to implement strict food quality control measures.

Baktybek Sharapov, Director of the Veterinary, Pasture and Feed Service of the Kyrgyz Republic, noted that the use of antibiotics for preventive purposes and to stimulate the growth of farm animals leads to the formation of resistant bacteria and increases risks to public health. He called for the development of national action plans, including monitoring the use of medicinal products, training specialists, and raising public awareness.

Two-Day Meeting Agenda

The first day was dedicated to the training on “Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance in the Kyrgyz Republic,” during which experts discussed monitoring of microorganism resistance, results of national studies, and international cooperation experience.

Particular attention was paid to FAO’s work in the Kyrgyz Republic, as reported by Azizbek Abdiev, One Health Expert of the FAO Office in the Kyrgyz Republic:

“The National Legal Report was prepared by national experts with the support of an international expert and reviewed by the FAO Legal Service. The legal findings and recommendations were presented to national authorities to strengthen the regulatory framework for combating AMR. Furthermore, FAO participated in the formulation of the veterinary service development strategy for 2025–2028.”

Nina Kulikova presented research from the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor on antimicrobial resistance monitoring, including the cooperation of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation in the collection and analysis of bacterial isolates, equipment supplies, and specialist training.

Olga Ivanova, Leading researcher of the Testing Center of the Russian State Center for Animal Feed and Drug Standardization and Quality (VGNKI), in her scientific report, addressed the effectiveness of alternative methods for preventing infectious diseases in animals, including bacteriophages, as well as routine monitoring of antibiotic susceptibility.

Dora Kovacs, FAO AMR Expert, focused on the assessment of veterinary curricula in the region, which used surveys to identify the level of awareness about AMR among students at veterinary universities and faculties: “Based on our research findings, we identified areas of knowledge and topics where we found gaps among our respondents. In the report, we presented a list of activities that can be implemented in the future, including integrating these topics into the curricula of veterinary faculties, developing programmes for practicing veterinarians, engaging faculty staff for additional training, and creating new subjects or adding new elements to existing curricula,” the expert noted.

Francesca Latronico, Expert from the FAO Headquarters’ Laboratory for AMR, highlighted global commitments to combat antimicrobial resistance in the agrifood sector, emphasizing the importance of joint efforts.

“No single country or sector can tackle the AMR issue alone. An analysis of the cost of inaction has been conducted: the costs are high – approximately USD 443 billion per year due to productivity losses, plus over USD 400 billion annually for treating antibiotic-resistant infections. If no action is taken, antimicrobial use in livestock farming is projected to increase by 29% by 2040,” she summarized.

Day Two: 4th Annual Consultative Meeting of the EECCA Network

The second day was moderated by Director of the FAO Moscow Office Oleg Kobiakov, and Aide to director for scientific work of the CRIE Igor Manzeniuk (PhD in Biology). The welcoming address was delivered by Director of the FAO Office in Bishkek Oleg Guchgeldiev who noted that “we possess significant consolidating potential and will continue our efforts – whether in strengthening the legislative framework, training specialists, or introducing innovative solutions. It is precisely such conferences that provide impetus for practical actions and new partnerships. I would like this current meeting to be a step towards our countries becoming examples of effective collaboration in the combat against antimicrobial resistance,” he emphasized.

A report from the public health colleagues was presented by Peter Sousa Hoejskov from the WHO Regional Office for Europe, who introduced new guidelines for the Prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance in the food chain.

Country reports were presented by the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and the Republic of Tajikistan who shared their experiences in developing surveillance systems and strengthening laboratory capacity. The Republic of Uzbekistan participated in the Meeting for the first time, presenting a national report and expressing readiness to join the EECCA Network.

During the meeting, the Network’s Technical Secretariat reported on the implementation of the Roadmap for 2023–2025. Strengthened intersectoral collaboration within countries, increased contributions of veterinary services to overall surveillance, and expanded cooperation with international organizations were noted.

Outcomes and Prospects

Participants emphasized that, despite progress in human resources, laboratory, and legislative capacity, the issue of antibiotic resistance requires further efforts. All countries reaffirmed their commitment to joint work within the Network and expressed readiness to implement the new Roadmap for 2026–2028.

Closing remarks were delivered by Oleg Kobiakov, Director of the FAO Moscow Office, Aigul Djumakanova, Head of the Laboratory Testing Center of the Department of Disease Prevention and State Sanitary Surveillance of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, and Igor Manzeniuk, Aide to director for scientific work at the CRIE of Rospotrebnadzor. They thanked the participants for their activity and opinions expressed, acknowledged the high level of the event, and expressed confidence in strengthening not only scientific but also friendly cooperation.

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobials have a critically important role in treating diseases, their use is necessary to protect the health of both humans and animals. However, antimicrobials are often used improperly to treat and prevent diseases in livestock, aquaculture and crop production. Such actions are frequently associated with the potential risk of emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms. 

Food products play a crucial role in AMR emergence and spread. Presence of drug-resistant microorganisms in food production systems and food chains is a potential source of infection for everyone. Application of good hygiene practices in agriculture is fundamental to ensure food safety and is also key to tackling antimicrobial resistance.