Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance, Using the ‘One Health’ Approach: Towards a New OIE Strategy

June 1, 2016 — 

Member Countries adopted a resolution endorsing the basic principles of the OIE global strategy against antimicrobial resistance. This strategy is intended to frame and ensure the continuation of all action undertaken by the Organisation in this area over several years. In addition to the development and harmonisation of international standards in regard to regulation and the prudent use and monitoring of antimicrobial agents, these activities will also include initial and continuing education programmes for animal health professionals, the necessary measures to ensure the availability of good-quality antimicrobials and research into alternative treatments, communication activities to raise awareness, and support for good governance of national Veterinary Services.

For the past year, the OIE has also been mandated by its Member Countries to establish a global database to gather data on the use of antimicrobial agents in animals. The OIE strategy will be implemented gradually, using the ‘One Health’ approach. It will be part of the extended global action plan against antimicrobial resistance developed by WHO, in collaboration with the OIE and FAO, which the Member Countries of all three organisations committed to implementing in 2015, through national action plans. The goal is to ensure the long-term effectiveness of treatments for infectious diseases, in both humans and animals, by using antimicrobial agents of guaranteed quality.

Antimicrobial resistance poses a major threat to public health and requires the involvement of society as a whole. Its now highly political impact led the Directors General of WHO and the OIE to raise this issue during the meeting of Health Ministers at the G7, in Berlin in October 2015. Furthermore, the FAO, OIE and WHO are currently preparing a high-level response to antimicrobial resistance which will be presented at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2016.

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