19/12/2024

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU), successfully conducted the inaugural RENOFARM Training Workshop on World AMR Awareness Week. This landmark event brought together RENOFARM government members in planning the national training for animal health providers on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), emphasizing the importance of sustainable practices and alternative approaches in agrifood systems.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most pressing global challenges, exacerbated by the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in human, animal, and plant health sectors. To address this, FAO launched theReduce the Need for Antimicrobials on Farms (RENOFARM)initiative, a decade-long global effort to promote responsible antimicrobial use through the Farm 5Gs framework:Good Health Services, Good Production Practices, Good Alternatives, Good Incentives, and Good Connections.

The Nanjing training workshop marked a critical step in operationalizing the RENOFARM initiative by providing targeted education to animal health service providers, including veterinarians, para-veterinary professionals, diagnostic staff, and other experts, empowering them to implement responsible antimicrobial practices and effective alternatives in agrifood systems. Participants were invited from FAO RENOFARM member countries, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Thanawat Tiensin, Assistant Director General and Director of Animal Production and Health Division welcomed the participants, stating “The training marks a major step toward achieving RENOFARM’s goal of training 50% of animal and plant health service providers with the skills to adopt and promote responsible antimicrobial practices over the next decade. By empowering these professionals, the workshop is driving a transformative shift towards more sustainable and resilient agrifood systems worldwide.”

The program included interactive sessions led by distinguished professors and leading scientists, focusing on antimicrobial stewardship, biosecurity and good practices. These sessions covered critical prevention and control strategies for bacterial diseases in poultry, swine, and cattle, while also exploring alternatives such as vaccines development, phage therapy, and traditional medicines such as plant extract and organic compounds. This interactive workshop included dairy farm demonstration at a cattle farm and hands-on laboratory session for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and interpretation of Minimum inhibitory concentrationresults based on Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines to allow trainees to receive coaching. Attendees explored the RENOFARM training materials and proposed competency framework, which are designed to be replicable for future workshops globally.

Ernawati, a participant from Indonesia, remarked,“This training has been eye-opening, offering a range of practical tools to the recent development of alternatives. I will carry this knowledgewhenI come back to my countryto developour own tailored program for animal health workers to reduce the need for antimicrobials, while ensuring farm productivity and animal health. Thanks to FAO and NAU for organizing this first workshop”

The fifteen participants, the national RENOFARM training coordinators from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, have committed to designing a national framework of the RENOFARM training within one month, implementing small scale pilot training within six months, and reporting the first-year progress on RENOFARM training.

The workshop also emphasized the value of incentives for learning and knowledge sharing, with participants receiving certifications upon successful completion. A total of fifteen RENOFARM memberships have successfully completed this very first workshop.

Building on the success of the Nanjing workshop, FAO and its partners plan to scale up similar training sessions in other regions, ensuring the widespread adoption of RENOFARM principles. The comprehensive training framework and materials developed during the workshops will serve as a blueprint for future capacity-building initiatives, easy to adapt to the specific country and regional contexts.

Jihui Ping, the acting dean of College of Veterinary Medicine, NAU, remarked,It has been an honor for NAU to host the inaugural RENOFARM Training Workshop, showcasing the strength of global collaboration in addressing antimicrobial resistance. This workshop not only provided participants with practical knowledge and innovative solutions but also set the foundation for impactful actions in agrifood systems worldwide. We look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have in promoting sustainable practices and responsible antimicrobial use globally.

As the RENOFARM initiative moves forward, this inaugural workshop underscores the power of collaboration, education, and action in tackling one of the most critical challenges of our time: AMR.

【聯(lián)合國糧農(nóng)組織】FAO successfully launched the RENOFARM Training Workshop in Nanjing, China

原文鏈接：

https://www.fao.org/antimicrobial-resistance/news-and-events/news/news-details/en/c/1730853/