National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance Framework.

This National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance Framework is a nationwide sectoral document aiming to comprehensively and in a systematic manner collect and generate information that will mitigate the AMR and antimicrobial misuse (AMU) in the country through effective monitoring of pathogens, AMU, antimicrobial sensitivity testing, antimicrobial residues and enhancing the prudent use of antimicrobials through communication of outcomes to the public, as well as to inform decision-making, drive local and national action and provide the evidence base for action and advocacy.
The document deals with (i) surveillance of AMR in human aiming at generating evidence on the burden of AMR among priority pathogens isolated in hospitals from in-patients and outpatients who have been referred for laboratory testing; and (ii) surveillance of AMR in animal and agriculture aiming at combating and reducing the burden of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in food, agriculture and the environment through effective monitoring of pathogens and antimicrobial sensitivity testing. The strategic objectives for this last sector are (i) establish profiles of priority resistant pathogens against antimicrobial agents and monitor AMU and AMR in the food producing animals and their products; (ii) establish AMR baseline data from wastewater, soil and other water sources in the environment; (iii) generate AMR data, from animals, food, crops and environment for policy, control and future research guidance; and (iv) develop an early warning notification system for emergence of novel resistant strains/pathogens and aid in rapid identification and control of outbreaks. Different surveillance methods will be employed in order to obtain relevant and reliable AMR data to allow interventions to reduce antimicrobial resistance burden in the food and agriculture sectors.
To make agriculture more sustainable, the Framework classifies groups of terrestrial and aquatic animals and plants population for consideration within surveillance as follows (i) extensive and intensive ruminant production; (ii) commercial, semi-intensive and extensive poultry production; (iii) extensive (free range) and intensive pig production; (iv) aquaculture and mariculture; (v) intensive and extensive crop production; and (vi) honey production.