Representatives from various sectors, including human, plant and animal health, fisheries, food safety, and the environment pose for a photo during the workshop.

©FAO/ Donald Chidoori

Harare, Zimbabwe – In a critical step towards safeguarding public health and food safety, in Zimbabwe, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened a multisectoral stakeholder workshop to evaluate the country’s antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance system, using the FAO Assessment tool for laboratories and AMR surveillance systems (ATLASS).

The workshop which took place from 4 to 5 November 2024, brought together representatives from various sectors, including human, plant and animal health, fisheries, food safety, and the environment. The gathering marked an essential milestone in Zimbabwe’s journey to build a robust, integrated AMR surveillance framework under the One Health approach.

“AMR poses a severe global threat that endangers both human and animal health,” said Tendai Munyokoveri the interim Assistant FAO Representative (AFOR) – Programmes in her opening remarks. “Surveillance is the foundation of effective AMR control as it enables us to understand the extent of the problem, identify trends, and support evidence-based policymaking and intervention strategies, ” Tendai added.

Transitioning from capacity building to data generation and analysis

The assessment of AMR surveillance systems in Zimbabwe using the FAO-ATLASS tool builds on previous evaluations carried out in 2017, and 2022, with support from the United Kingdom’s (UK) Fleming Fund.

“Since our initial ATLASS assessment in 2017, we have continued strengthening our laboratory capacity,” said the Acting Director of Veterinary Technical Services, Dr Chenai Majuru. “As we approach phase two of the Fleming Fund country grant, we are transitioning from foundational capacity building to data generation and analysis. This data will underpin evidence-based strategies to combat AMR and support our national action plan implementation to produce data for action,” she added.

As part of the assessment process, a team of local and international assessors visited eight laboratories in the agrifood and environmental sectors to evaluate the laboratories’ AMR surveillance capabilities and provide actionable recommendations to improve their capacities to produce quality and reliable AMR data.

Some of the recommendations were short term in nature and were seen as low-hanging fruits that required little or no additional resources to address, and some were medium- and long-term initiatives which requires considerable resources and government commitment to implement, and “FAO will continue to advocate for strong government commitment in provision of resources and will continue to support various resource mobilization initiatives to implement those recommendations” said Tendai Munyokoveri.

“The hope is that the data collected from the workshop and pre-workshop activities will underpin evidence-based strategies to enhance AMR surveillance and support prioritization of interventions in our national action plan,” said the Acting Director of Veterinary Technical Services.

Contributing valuable insights to regional and global efforts

The two-day workshop saw participants engaging in rigorous discussions to identify current capacities and critical areas for improvement in Zimbabwe’s AMR surveillance system across all key one health sectors.

“The outcomes of this assessment will not only support the country in setting its health security targets but will also contribute valuable insights to regional and global efforts against the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance,” Tendai said.

A call for collaboration

The workshop concluded with a call for continued cooperation and knowledge-sharing to address the common AMR challenges faced in Zimbabwe. This included the sharing of the detailed assessment report to key One Health ministries to guide interventions by the different sectors. Speakers also highlighted the importance of resource mobilization and collaboration to build stronger AMR surveillance systems.

In her closing remarks, the Director of Veterinary Technical Services, pledged to address gaps identified during the surveillance and to lobby for further resources for effective AMR surveillance, while the AFAOR – Programmes emphasized the need to strengthen collaboration between all partners.

“I appreciate the commitment of the Government of Zimbabwe, civil society organisations, the private sector and the Quadripartite, comprising the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) in fighting AMR. Your expertise, collaboration, and commitment are vital to the success of this endeavor and ultimately to safeguarding public health and food safety not only in Zimbabwe but beyond,” the Assistant FAO representative – programmes said. “Together, we can build a safer, more sustainable future.”

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Staff Reporter