Launch of the 2nd term of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance
It is with great pleasure that the National Department of Health announces the launch of the 2nd term of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance (MAC-AMR).
AMR poses a formidable challenge to achieving Universal Health Coverage and threatens progress against many of the Sustainable Development Goals, including in health, food security, clean water and safe sanitation, responsible consumption and production of antimicrobials, as well as poverty and inequality.
South Africa pledged its commitment to the World Health Assembly resolution to develop a National Action Plan on AMR, resulting in the AMR National Strategy Framework 2018 – 2023. Priority actions are guided by the five pillars of the strategy, using a One Health approach, and focusing on areas of governance, surveillance in antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic consumption, infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship, and optimal use of diagnostics. The MAC-AMR has been appointed as the primary national governance structure to lead and coordinate the implementation of the AMR Strategy Framework. This Committee has diverse representation from various government departments representing agriculture, public and private healthcare sectors, clinicians, veterinarians, pharmacists, microbiologists, data specialists, food and environmental health. We welcome Marc Mendelson, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, as Chair, and Moritz van Vuuren, Emeritus Professor of Veterinary Microbiology at University of Pretoria as Vice Chair. The work of the Committee is supported by the Secretariat from the Affordable Medicines Directorate.
The members of the MAC-AMR are congratulated on their appointment and thanked for their commitment to serving the country in undertaking this mammoth task to mitigate the effects of AMR, saving the effectiveness of our antimicrobials and ultimately, saving lives.