Sri Lanka: National Strategic Plan for Combating Antimicrobial Resistance 2023-2028

National Strategic Plan forCombating Antimicrobial Resistance inSri Lanka2023 -2028 Message from His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 global public health threats.It is estimated that each year, 700,000 people succumb to AMR. It is predictedthat by 2050, drug-resistant microbes will lead to 10 million deaths each year ifthe problem is not resolved. AMR causes 3.8 percent reduction in annual grossdomestic product (GDP), thereby leading to being an economic threat globally.The world’s poorest and those living in low and middle-income countries areextremely vulnerable. Combating AMR would be an enormous challenge todeveloping countries like Sri Lanka. It was a timely call on the nations by the 68th World Health Assembly in 2015 todevelop national strategies to minimize the development of AMR. Subsequentlyin 2016, at a high-level meeting convened by the President of the UN GeneralAssembly (UNGA) on the sidelines of the 71st General Debate, UN Member States adopted a political declaration on AMR. It was recognized that urgent cross-sectoral rationalization of antimicrobial use and prevention andcontrol of infections in humans, animals, food, agriculture, and aquaculture sectors is the key to combat AMR. As recommended by the WHO, the Ministry of Health developed the first National Strategic plan to combatAMR (NSP-AMR 2017-2022) with multisectoral collaboration, with the current publication being its revision.It is commendable that experts from the sectors of human and animal health, fisheries, and agriculture havecoordinated as a team to revise and formulate the NSP-AMR for the years 2023 -2028. The developed strategiescall on all stakeholders, including the public, to support collaborative efforts to combat AMR. The developedstrategies will also support global and regional efforts to address the threat of AMR. It is indeed a pleasure to acknowledge the commitment extended by all professionals as a one-health team torevise and formulate the NSP-AMR 2023 - 2028. I urge all to dig deep and provide the needed support by allrelevant ministries under the leadership of the Ministry of Health, to combat this ‘silent pandemic’. Ranil WickremesinghePresidentDemocratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Message from the Hon. Minister of Health Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious public health problem globally.Unrestricted use of antimicrobial medicines in humans and animals has beenresponsible for increasing AMR globally. The health impact of AMR would pose amajor challenge to a developing country like Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, as a member stateof the WHO South East Asia region became a signatory to the Jaipur Declaration(2011) which agreed to regulate the usage of antimicrobial medicines to prolongand preserve efficacy of antimicrobials. AMR is known to occur in hospital and community settings and would result in lossof treatment options for patients with infections thereby increasing morbidity andmortality, as well as increased health expenditure. There has been an escalationin the emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms causing infectious diseases inthe country. Thus, this “silent pandemic” must be addressed with urgent action now, otherwise the death toll will continue to rise. As AMR is a global problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken the initiative of promoting andassessing its member countries to develop strategies to overcome this serious threat of AMR. I am delighted thatthe Ministry of Health has recognized the strategies recommended by WHO, to provide leadership in revisingthe National Strategic Plan for combating antimicrobial resistance (NSP-AMR) with multisectoral collaboration.I am grateful to the experts from the human health sector, animal health sector, fisheries, environment andagriculture sectors who were instrumental to revise and formulate NSP-AMR 2023-2028. The Ministry of Health will take necessary actions to perform ongoing activities to promote recommendedstrategies, such as infection prevention and control, and rational use of medicines, especially by enhancingnational awareness of AMR among all stakeholders including healthcare professionals and the public. Theavailability of safe and effective antimicrobials of good quality will be ensured. As the Minister of Health, I will ensure financial, legislative, and other necessary support for the implementationof the planned strategies. I appreciate and thank all the stakeholders involved in revising and formulating theNSP-AMR 2023 - 2028. I am certain that all of us will exert our commitment to combat this major health problemwhich is a threat to the public. Dr. Ramesh PathiranaHon. Minister of Health Message from the Hon. Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries As we stand at the threshold of combating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), it is withgratitude that I reflect upon the transformative journey taken collectively by theexperts involved. Anti