New guidelines ahead of the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), scheduled for September 26, are aimed at tackling pollution caused by the production of antibiotics.
The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance due to antibiotic pollution poses a serious threat to the effectiveness of medicines worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The UN agency noted that although high levels of contamination have been observed in many manufacturing sites, the problem has rarely been subject to strict regulation. What’s more, the WHO says, quality assurance criteria generally don’t take environmental emissions into account, leaving a significant regulatory gap.
Consumers also often lack clear information on how to properly dispose of unused, expired or leftover antibiotics. This situation contributes to the spread of AMR, a phenomenon that increases the severity of illness, makes infections more difficult to treat and increases the risk of death, according to the WHO.
Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance, was quoted as saying in a statement obtained by APA on Tuesday that “pharmaceutical waste from the manufacture of antibiotics can facilitate the emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria, which can spread globally and pose a threat to our health.”
Dr. Nakatani believes that “tackling the pollution caused by the production of antibiotics is crucial to ensuring that these vital medicines remain effective for everyone.”
According to the WHO, there is a glaring lack of accessible information on the environmental impact of pharmaceutical production worldwide. These new guidelines aim to fill this gap by providing a rigorous and unbiased scientific evidence base for regulators, purchasers, inspectors and industry itself.
The emphasis on transparency will enable purchasers, investors and the general public to make informed decisions, taking into account manufacturers’ efforts to limit antibiotic pollution,’ said Dr. Maria Neira, Director of WHO’s Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health.
A concerted international response
These guidelines follow several international calls, notably from the WHO Executive Board, G7 health ministers and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The role of the environment in the emergence, transmission and spread of antimicrobial resistance needs to be carefully considered, as evidence is accumulating. There is a broad consensus that environmental action must be given greater prominence as part of the solution,’ said Jacqueline Alvarez, Head of the Chemicals and Health Branch of UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division.
The guidelines were developed in close collaboration with a diverse group of international experts, including academics, regulators, inspectors and international organisations such as UNEP. The project also benefited from a public consultation, which provided valuable input from industry and other stakeholders.
The new WHO guidelines set specific targets to reduce the risks of emergence and spread of AMR. These targets are based on human health and also aim to protect aquatic life from the adverse effects of antibiotics used in human, animal and plant medicine.
They cover the entire manufacturing process, from the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to the formulation of finished products and their primary packaging.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites become unresponsive to medicines, increasing the severity of disease and making infections more difficult to treat.
AMR is largely due to the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials. Yet, paradoxically, many people around the world still do not have access to essential antimicrobial medicines.
The WHO’s new guidelines on pollution from antibiotic production are a crucial step towards reducing this global threat.
As the international community prepares for the United Nations General Assembly meeting on AMR, these guidelines provide a clear roadmap to ensure that antibiotics remain effective and accessible to all, while protecting the environment from the damage caused by their production.
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