Professionals from 18 countries strengthen surveillance capacities for antimicrobial resistance

To strengthen the sustained participation of Latin American and Caribbean countries in the International FAO Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring (InFARM) System, a special session was held for 145 government officials and specialized teams involved in antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The session delved into the objectives and general functioning of the InFARM platform and provided guidance for countries interested in participating in the 2025 data call. 

To this end, the Animal Production, Health, and Food Safety and Quality teams based at FAO Headquarters in Rome and the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, respectively, unveiled a range of technical resources related to this, the second global call for data on AMR in animals and food.

“In many countries, there is a wealth of data, but in some cases, there is a lack of coordination or the ability to transform that data. This can cause anxiety, but at FAO, we see it as a great opportunity to transform that data into useful information for policy implementation and decision-making regarding antimicrobial resistance,” said Alejandro Dorado, Animal Health Officer at FAO Headquarters in Rome.

This call also allows for the collection of experiences from countries, including their achievements and challenges, as well as lessons learned from using the InFARM platform. "It's important that on this occasion we have the opportunity to see a demonstration of the platform and hear the experiences of two countries in the region that participated in the previous call, ask them questions, and be able to generate this exchange within the region," explained Leopoldo del Barrio, Food Safety and Quality Officer at FAO’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. 

This feedback is intended to guide future regional and national technical assistance actions.

The spread of AMR represents a growing global threat to human, animal, plant, and environmental health. Faced with this challenge, FAO plays a key role in minimizing and controlling the impacts of AMR on agri-food systems through a comprehensive One Health approach.

About InFARM 

In 2021, during the 166th Session of the FAO Council, the FAO Action Plan on AMR 2021-2025 was adopted. This plan, among other things, aims to strengthen surveillance and research to enable evidence-based decision-making that contributes to curbing the generation and spread of AMR. FAO thus committed to establishing the International FAO Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring (InFARM) System in Food and Agriculture, which will facilitate the generation, collection, analysis, and sharing of data in line with international standards.

The InFARM System also enables related training activities that help countries visualize and interpret data to inform decisions and share information at the national and international levels.

During the first global call for data on AMR in animals and food, held in 2024, 49 countries submitted surveillance activities and 28 contributed data directly to the InFARM System. In July of this year, FAO launched the second global call for data on AMR in animals and food, which will soon include a call for reporting of data on antimicrobial use in agricultural production.