Joint FAO/OIE/WHO Expert Meeting on Critically Important Antimicrobials Rome, Italy, 26-30 November 2007
The joint FAO/OIE/WHO Expert Meeting on Critically Important Antimicrobials was held from 26 to 30 November 2007 in Rome, Italy. The meeting was convened as a continuation of the consultative process on antimicrobial resistance, arising from non-human use of antimicrobials in food-producing animal species, that was implemented jointly by the three Organizations in 2003 following recommendations of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 2001 to discuss issues related to the use of antimicrobials in agriculture (including aquaculture) and veterinary medicine, taking into account the joint role played by antimicrobials as essential human and veterinary medicines.
The objectives of the expert meeting were to consider the WHO and OIE lists of critically important antimicrobials in order to:
- Find an appropriate balance between animal health needs and public health considerations, taking into account the overlap of the two lists;
- Identify as far as feasible, the current and potential hazards to public health resulting from this overlap;
- Identify the combinations—human-pathogen-antimicrobial use and animal species—that could be considered by risk managers as the priority combinations in terms of risk-benefit assessment for future consideration;
- Review current management strategies and options for maintaining the efficacy of critically important antimicrobials for humans and animals; and
- Provide recommendations on future FAO, OIE and WHO activities.