MUSCAT: The Third Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, hosted in Muscat, Oman, concluded on Friday, where targets to address the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) challenge were discussed for the first time. The conference and its numerical targets for antimicrobial use in the human and animal sectors will pave the way for bold political commitments at the forthcoming UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR in 2024.
The conference agreed the Muscat Ministerial Manifesto, which sets out the three global targets:
1.Reduce the total amount of antimicrobials used in agrifood systems by at least 30-50 per cent by 2030, galvanising national and global efforts;
2. Preserve critically important antimicrobials for human medicine, ending the use of medically important antimicrobials for growth promotion in animals;
3.Ensure ‘Access’ group antibiotics (a category of antibiotics that are affordable, safe and have a low AMR risk) represent at least 60 per cent of overall antibiotic consumption in humans by 2030.
Globally agreed targets will be key to protecting the efficacy of antimicrobials and curbing the development of AMR worldwide, as well as reducing environmental pollution, in turn lowering the spread of AMR.
Countries also made commitments to implement National Action Plans for AMR and strengthen surveillance through improved data reporting and management, private sector engagement and implementation of evidence-based practices.
Dr Hilal bin Ali al Sabti, Minister of Health, in his speech at the concluding session said the discussions would enhance the ongoing dialogue on One Health measures.
He said the Muscat Ministerial Declaration will help accelerate political actions and coordination among countries and organisations. “There were many discussions on the threats resulting from antimicrobial resistance and its impact on development. We have no time to lose.”
Dr Saif bin Salim al Abri, Director-General of Disease Control and Surveillance at the Ministry of Health and Chairman of the Conference's Organizing Committee, in a statement to ONA, said 34 countries participating in the conference have adopted the Muscat Declaration and others have one month to to express their opinion on the matter.
The conference also aimed to enhance the importance of political commitment to the One Health approach in addressing the epidemic of antimicrobial resistance. It also discussed the role of environment in the spread of antimicrobial resistance and the importance of monitoring the impact on antimicrobials on humans, animals and environment.
The conference sought to exchange expertise and successful experiences in implementing the One Government and One Health approach to mitigate the threat of antimicrobial resistance, and to find opportunities for cooperation and partnership between countries and international organizations to address antimicrobial resistance as part of the sustainable development goals.
The conference was organised by Oman’s Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources in cooperation with the GCC Health Council and the Quartet formed by the United Nations to monitor antibiotic resistance (the World Health Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, the United Nations Environmental Health Program, the United Nations Organization for food and agriculture).
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE), known as the Quadripartite, welcomed the outcomes of the Conference for accelerating action on AMR.
The Covid-19 pandemic may have constrained global efforts to address AMR, but it has also demonstrated the critical links between humans, animals and the environmental ecosystem. A range of stakeholders – including the healthcare, pharmaceutical, veterinary, food safety, agricultural, environmental sectors – have a shared responsibility to continue to collectively respond to AMR.
The conference marks the conclusion of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, an annual week-long global campaign that brings together leaders across sectors to highlight the actions needed to preserve and protect antimicrobials.
Saudi Arabia will host the fourth edition of Global Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance.
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