Author Description

The development of these guidelines was driven by the need to mitigate the adverse human health consequences of use of medically important antimicrobials (i.e. antimicrobials used in humans) in food-producing animals. The use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals, subsequent selection of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria among food-producing animals, then transfer of those antimicrobial resistant bacteria from food-producing animals to humans via food, is an important food safety issue. In May 2015, the Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly recognized the importance of the public health problem posed by antimicrobial resistance by adopting the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance ("global action plan"). The global action plan proposes interventions to control antimicrobial resistance, including reducing the unnecessary use of antimicrobials in humans and in animals. The global action plan also emphasizes the need to take a cross-sectoral, "One Health" approach for controlling antimicrobial resistance, involving efforts by actors from many disciplines including human and veterinary medicine. Recognizing the urgent need for cross-sectoral action to address antimicrobial resistance, the assemblies of the FAO and OIE also adopted resolutions supporting the global action plan in 2015.