Harare, Zimbabwe, will take center stage as the global community unites for the World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) 2023. The Quadripartite partners, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations
Collaboration with Organisations
Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), alongside African Union agencies, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU IBAR), are collaborating with the Government of Zimbabwe to host this continental celebration.
Under the theme “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together,” the WAAW aims to improve awareness and understanding of the global health challenge set forth by antimicrobial resistance. The Quadripartite organizations and the Africa Union Task Force on AMR are adopting a One Health approach to organize this year’s event, emphasizing collective action.
The continental celebration, beginning on November 18, 2023, will engage diverse stakeholders, including high-level policy-makers, regional communities, the One Health community, development partners, private sector partners, NGOs, academia, research institutions, and the general public.
Moreover, A high-level opening ceremony on November 20, 2023, at the Harare International Convention Center (HICC) will be officiated by H.E Hon Dr A.J Masuka, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development of Zimbabwe. The ceremony will also feature the signing of the Zimbabwe Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plan (NAP).
Throughout the week, activities will include media briefings, a ‘world café’ debate on AMR, engagement with high school students, a high-level panel discussion on AMR’s environmental dimensions, policy dialogues on accelerating progress in African countries, AMR One Health multisectoral collaboration, and laboratory and field visits.
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Furthermore, World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week serves as a platform for collaboration, advocacy, and risk mitigation efforts against antimicrobial resistance, positioning Africa as a leader in combatting AMR and advancing collective policy guidance and support for AMR reduction programs.
