Malawi, FAO Team Up to Combat Animal AMR Threat

Lilongwe, Malawi – Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Malawian authorities are collaborating to strengthen the country’s Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance Strategy for Animal Health. This three-day workshop, beginning today at Lilongwe’s Cross Roads Hotel, aims to review and refine existing strategies to combat the growing threat of AMR.

Sabenzi Wakesa Nabalayo, FAO’s acting team leader for Malawi’s ECTAD program, expressed her appreciation for the commitment shown by the Department of Animal Health and Livestock and USAID in ensuring animal and human health protection from zoonotic diseases and AMR.

“The rise of AMR is a global concern,” Nabalayo stated. “Microorganisms are developing resistance to the very drugs used to fight them.”

This workshop, she emphasized, represents a critical step in ensuring the continued effectiveness of efforts to combat AMR in animal health. Successful implementation, she stressed, relies heavily on teamwork, aiming to protect animal, environmental, and public health collectively.

Dr. Charles W. Oliver, Global Health Security Advisor at USAID, explained that the initiative focuses on ensuring Malawi adheres to standardized procedures to prevent drug resistance in animals. “AMR is a key area of focus within the global health security agenda, and Malawi’s participation is crucial. That’s why we’re actively supporting these workshops,” he said.

Representatives from USAID, Global Health Security, the Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development, government officials, and FAO specialists are participating in the workshop.