Press Release
WAAW Africa 2021
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WAAW 2021
NOTING that antimicrobial agents, including antibiotics, have saved millions of lives, substantially reducing the burden of diseases in people and animals, improving quality of life, contributing to better food security and safety, and aiding to increased life expectancy.
RECOGNISING the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in several microorganisms is reversing these benefits and further complicating the management of many infectious diseases.
CONCERNED by AMR as a major threat to human development and the fight against infectious diseases that also endangers animal health and welfare and food production, and adversely affects the functioning of human, animal and plant health systems and economies.
CONCERNED by uncontrolled antimicrobial overuse and misuse across the African Continent, including the inadequate use of antibiotics in the management of COVID-19, and the use of falsified and substandard medicines in the context of inadequate oversight on production, procurement, quality, and surveillance.
NOTING the importance of antimicrobials as front-line medication in combating a host of diseases in humans, animals and crops alike, as well as supporting and enhancing agricultural and environmental practices to reduce risk of disease spillover.
ACKNOWLEDGING that the lack of awareness on AMR continues to hamper efforts for transformational changes in practices, regulations, and oversight.
NOTING that AMR governance is essential to promote sustainable actions and it should include both proper institutional arrangements and be met with robust societal demand – from both public and private sectors alike – for the successful governance of antimicrobials to emerge and to be sustained.
ACKNOWLEDGING that several promising first steps have been taken to strengthen AMR governance at global, regional, and country levels.
UNDERSCORING the importance to adopt the holistic and multisectoral One Health’ approach to address the rising threat of AMR through integrated actions across human, animal, plant and environmental health sectors.
RECALLING existing global and continental commitments including WHO’s Global Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance, Africa Common Position on Antimicrobial Resistance, Africa Union Framework for Antimicrobial Resistance Control, FAO’s Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, and OIE Strategy on Antimicrobial Resistance and the Prudent Use of Antimicrobials.
MINDFUL that tackling AMR is a Sustainable Development Agenda issue and will be critical in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and improve food and nutrition security and livelihoods in Africa’s largely farming-based economies and that have been made even more challenging in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Participants’ signatures in the spaces below record their joint acceptance and commitment for this communiqué as of 18 November 2021
| Africa Centres for Disease Prevention and Control
John N. Nkengasong Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention |
African Union – InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources
Nick Nwankpa Director of African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) |
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| Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations-Regional Office for Africa
Abebe Haile-Gabriel FAO Assistant Director-General Regional Representative for Africa |
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations- Regional Office for Near East and North Africa
AbdulHakim Elwaer FAO Assistant Director-General, Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa |
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| World Health Organization-Regional Office for Africa
Matshidiso Moeti WHO Regional Director for Africa |
World Health Organization – Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
Ahmed Al Mandhari WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean |
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| World Organization for Animal Health
Regional Representation for Africa Karim Tounkara OIE Regional Representative for Africa
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United Nations Environment Programme
Regional Office for Africa Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo UNEP Regional Director for Africa
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