Ottawa – This week is World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week. This year’s theme is “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together”, which builds on the momentum from previous years and calls for united and coordinated action to protect the effectiveness of antimicrobials and address this global health challenge.
In Canada and around the world, microbes that cause infections are becoming increasingly resistant to the drugs designed to treat them – this is known as AMR. Antimicrobial drugs, such as antibiotics, save lives and are the foundation of modern healthcare. However, drug resistance is spreading globally and, as a result, the treatments we rely on are becoming less effective.
AMR requires united and coordinated action. That is why the Government of Canada continues to work with our provincial and territorial counterparts, Indigenous Peoples, industry stakeholders, partners across One Health sectors, and our international partners to take increased and expedited action on AMR.
Most recently, the Government of Canada, together with provinces and territories, released the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (PCAP), a 5-year plan for strengthening Canada’s collective AMR response. Its ten priority actions will guide multi-sectoral and multi-jurisdictional efforts across five pillars: research and innovation; monitoring; stewardship; infection prevention and control; and leadership.
The PCAP compliments the investments made through Budget 2023, where we committed funding to encourage market entry and availability of high-value antimicrobials in Canada. Budget 2021 also committed over $28 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, to expand efforts in key areas of the Action Plan’s pillars — surveillance and stewardship. Important advancements have already been made, including evaluating the feasibility of integrating wastewater into our AMR surveillance.
This World AMR Awareness Week, we encourage everyone to learn more about AMR and its impacts on our health. We also encourage you to discover helpful tips and resources at Canada.ca/antibiotics. – Mark Holland, Minister of Health; Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food