The Netherlands continues its efforts against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). At a ministerial conference on June 18-19, they announced their intention to contribute to the new AMR Multi-Partner Trust Fund. The Netherlands pledged an initial $5 million to the new fund.
AMR is the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication that once could successfully treat the microbe. This is a natural phenomenon, but it is expanding rapidly due to the misuse and overuse use of antibiotics and poor infection control practices in animals and humans.
The new fund, led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), is expected to operate over a five-year period, until 2024. Its main goal is to support the efforts of low- and middle-income countries. “Unfortunately, borders don’t stop bacteria. But by pooling our efforts and knowledge, we can help each other combat AMR. There’s still scope for improving the way antibiotics are used in livestock production, too”, commented Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Carola Schouten. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)