Antimicrobial Resistance ' "One Health" Approach

• Published date: 10 April 2023
• Subject Matter: Food, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Food and Drugs Law
• Law Firm: CorralRosales
• Author: Mr Bryan Yanzza

The purpose of antimicrobial drugs is to combat diseases that can be of bacterial, viral and parasitic origin. But when they are misused or overused, these microorganisms can mutate genetically causing resistance to these drugs¹. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a serious global threat to human and animal health, affecting food safety, food security and the economic well-being of millions of small and large-scale agricultural productions².

AMR is considered a multisectoral problem of great importance worldwide, which is why health organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Organization for Animal Health and the World Health Organization created the "One Health" approach. This approach is implemented to have a better coordination and elaboration of programs that comprise the interface between human and animal health, food production and agro-ecological environments, with the purpose of preventing and being prepared for future threats, such as zoonotic diseases, food safety and AMR.

AMR is considered a major threat to modern medicine and to the sustainability of an effective response to the threat of infectious diseases. For such reason the World Health Assembly, in May 2015, adopted the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, where five objectives were established : (i) to have better communication and education on antimicrobial resistance with the aim of creating understanding and awareness of the issue; (ii) to strengthen this knowledge through surveillance and research; (iii) to reduce the incidence of infections by implementing effective biosecurity, hygiene and infection prevention measures; (iv) to optimize the use of antimicrobial drugs in human and animal health; and (v) to intensify sustainable projects and investments for the development of new drugs, vaccines and diagnostic means³.

This resolution commits the member countries to develop national and multisectoral action plans with a "One Health" approach, which is why in Ecuador the National Plan for the Prevention and Control of Antimicrobial Resistance was established to fight AMR and to have national action plans harmonized with the global action plan.

In order to establish a national plan, it is of vital importance to know the consumption data of antibiotics generally used in infectious diseases, both in humans and animals. Ecuador does not have this information, so it is hypothesized that the indiscriminate and inappropriate use of...