Kathmandu, April 17

Countries in the Asia Pacific region have pledged to collaborate to combat the increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance, which transcends borders and endangers global health by making life-saving antibiotics ineffective.

They agreed to improve the way information on antimicrobial resistance is collected and shared to guide effective policies and actions; to strengthen and harmonise how they regulate the production, sale and use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines and to take innovative approaches to stimulate research and development of new antibiotics, diagnostic tests, vaccines and other technologies, a communique issued on the Tokyo Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance said.

“Antimicrobial resistance is a threat to global security and economic stability. It is a looming health and economic crisis that requires both global and local solutions. Since drug resistant genes can travel, countries with higher levels of economic and social organisation have a stake in the success of measures taken by less developed countries.

In the fight against antimicrobial resistance, we are only as strong as the weakest link,” Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO regional director for South-East Asia said at the meeting.

“Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to human health today. Having effective antimicrobials is also critical to the social and economic development of nations. We have a limited window of opportunity to take action and avoid a post-antibiotic era.

WHO is supporting countries across the Asia Pacific region to take critical steps to preserve the effectiveness of these life-saving medicines,” said Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific.

A press release issued by WHO South-East Asia Region said the ministers acknowledged that antimicrobial resistance is a by-product of system failures and strengthening these systems is a critical component of the Sustainable Development Goals.