The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have led the observance of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week calling on individuals, groups, institutions, and communities to take action to protect human and animal health by stopping misuse and overuse of antimicrobials.
Dr Angela Pratt, WHO Representative to Vietnam, said that antimicrobial resistance is an extremely important issue for Vietnam, for the Asia-Pacific Region, and for the world. This is because AMR is a real threat to public health – and if we don’t step up our efforts to tackle it, we are fast hurtling towards a world where common infections are impossible to treat, and routine surgery is high-risk because the potential of infection is much harder to control.
Dr. Rémi Nono Womdim, FAO Representative to Vietnam, said that FAO is working closely with Vietnamese Government to ensure proper dissemination of new regulations on antimicrobial use in livestock and aquaculture, as well as monitoring for the presence of antimicrobial resistance in animals and food. FAO also encourages responsible antimicrobial use in animal production, which will help keep our environment and food free from antimicrobial residues and antimicrobial resistant bacteria.
