Nairobi 26th November 2024
In an effort to tackle the rising threats of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) affecting agriculture, public health and food safety globally and locally, the County Subsector of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources with the support from partners organized a sensitization workshop targeting the Subsector technical staff and the City agro vet dealers to enhance their understanding of AMR, as well as encourage responsible antimicrobial use in the agriculture sector.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change in ways that make medicines used to treat infections less effective or ineffective, meaning that antibiotics and other microbial treatment stops working well thus making infections harder to treat. AMR is mainly caused by over use and misuse of Antimicrobial medicines in humans and animals.
In a speech read on behalf of Ms. Gladwell Cheruiyot, the County Chief Officer in charge of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources by the Ag. County Director of Veterinary Services Ms. Jane Riechi, she reiterated Nairobi County’s dedication towards enhancing food safety, addressing AMR and supporting sustainable agricultural practices through a robust training, policy enhancement and stakeholder engagement. “Agro vet dealers must lead by example in ensuring responsible antimicrobial use and educating farmers. Collaboration between departments, private sector players and community is essential in combating AMR.” Said the Chief Officer in her remarks.
Further, Ms. Cheruiyot described agro vets who are the primary suppliers of Antimicrobials as pivotal in ensuring responsible usage, noting that by educating farmers, they can mitigate the misuse of veterinary and agricultural usage.
The workshop provided the participants with critical information on; causes and implications of AMR in the Agriculture sector, connection between antimicrobial misuse and the emergence of resistant pathogens, guidelines for appropriate prescription and usage of Antimicrobials, importance of adhering to regulatory frameworks to ensure safe and residue free food, principles of microbial use in agriculture, role of food inspectors in AMR prevention and control and strategies for reducing AMR risks while maintaining food safety and productivity amongst other key topics.
With enhanced capacity, Ms. Jane Riechi observed that the staff and the agro vet dealers will be in a better position to advice farmers on the responsible antimicrobial use, leading to compliance with national and international food safety regulations. “This will in turn reduce the prevalence of AMR leading to safer food systems in the County of Nairobi”. She added.
While making a presentation on antimicrobial resistance in humans, Dr. Marion Ong’ayo from the Health Sector, pointed out the importance of Agriculture, health and environment departments working together to address the antimicrobial resistance threat which featured prominently during the just concluded Health Scientific Conference in Nairobi.
Other facilitators were Dr. Winfred Kyalo (County Deputy Director for Fisheries) and Mr. Antony Mugwanja (County Livestock Officer) who are part of the County Antimicrobial Stewardship Interagency Committee (CASIC), an initiative bringing together multisectoral stakeholders, including Agriculture, Health and Environment departments, in an effort to combating AMR through One Health Approach.
The sensitization forum was part of the countrywide Antimicrobial awareness week which ran from 18th – 24th November, with an aim to prevent antimicrobial resistance.
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