World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022

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The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022 concluded on November 25, with the Muscat Ministerial Manifesto on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Important facts

• The two-day summit, which began on November 24 in Oman's capital Muscat, follows two high-level summits held in the Netherlands in 2014 and 2019.

• The theme of the meeting was - The AMR Pandemic: From Policy to One Health Action.

• The Manifesto has been endorsed by 34 of the 45 countries that participated at the conference. 

Muscat Ministerial Manifesto on AMR - three global targets

• Reduce the total amount of antimicrobials used in the agri-food system at least by 30-50% by 2030 from the current level.

• Zero use of Critically important antimicrobials (CIA).

• Ensuring that 'access' group antibiotics (a class of antibiotics that are cheaper, safer and have a lower AMR risk) represent at least 60 per cent of total antibiotic consumption in humans by 2030.

About World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 

• It is a global campaign observed annually to improve awareness and understanding related to AMR.

• It encourages best practices among the public, health stakeholders and policy makers to reduce the emergence and spread of AMR.

What is Antimicrobial Resistance?

• It is the resistance acquired by any microorganism (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, etc.) against antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics) that are used to treat infections.

• As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, the infection persists and can spread to others.