Russia backs FAO work to tackle antimicrobial resistance

Russia is backing an FAO-led effort to promote food safety and prevent the spread of medicine-resistant "superbugs" in food and on farms in five countries in Central Asia and Eastern Europe with a donation of nearly $3.3 million.

A new Russia-supported FAO project in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will help national authorities get a better handle the threats posed by antimicrobial resistant microbes in agriculture and food systems.

The bulk of the funding will be used to support action on three broad fronts:

• Strengthening the regulatory and legal frameworks that underpin national efforts to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in agriculture and food chains, including the development national response strategies
• Building the capacity of national surveillance systems to monitor and test for AMR in food systems
• Raising awareness among farmers, animal- and human health professionals, food safety authorities and others regarding AMR risks and how to manage them