The Chief Administrative Secretary, Dr. Rashid Aman and the Principal Secretary for Agriculture Hrry Kimutai during the opening of AMR symposium in Nairobi.They are accompanied by the DMS Dr. Jackson Kioko.
Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) has been identified as one of the most complex public health threats affecting multiple sectors ranging from health, food safety, agriculture, environment and trade.
According to the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Rashid Aman, no single government department or independent organization can tackle AMR alone.
“Containing, controlling and preventing emergence of AMR demands for well-coordinated actions across multiple levels, sectors, disciplines and with a broad range of stakeholders,’’ Dr. Aman said during the opening of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Symposium themed ‘’Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance Together,” in Nairobi today.
The CAS acknowledged that AMR presents the global, regional and national communities with extensive challenges considering its depth and breadth and called for strengthened and formal governance and coordination mechanisms to synchronize the response to AMR, to ensure optimization of resources and effective monitoring and evaluation of actions.
Dr. Aman revealed the two Ministries of Health and Agriculture have embarked on a process to consolidate efforts to implement sustainable measures to mitigate any further emergence and spread of AMR.
“Having in mind a one-health approach to the management of AMR, the two Ministries have jointly developed a Policy and a National Action Plan to implement,’’ he said.
He noted that the inauguration of the National Antimicrobial Stewardship Inter Agency Technical Committee and the AMR Secretariat reinforces the commitment of the government to implement the AMR policy.