NIH and Ministry of Health Host National Symposium on Sustainable AMR Containment to Mark World AMR Awareness Week
Islamabad : Dr. Ayesha Isani Majeed, Director General of Health (MoNHSRC), in her remarks highlighted the role of regulatory and implementation framework. She stressed the need to operationalize the National Action Plan on AMR effectively. “AMR containment is a priority for the Ministry. We are dedicated to strengthening regulatory frameworks and ensuring that our hospitals and communities are equipped to use antimicrobials responsibly to preserve their efficacy for future generations,” said Dr. Ayesha.
Dr. Muhammad Salman, Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute of Health (NIH), welcomed the participants. He highlighted the critical nature of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) as a “silent pandemic” and emphasized the NIH’s commitment to leading the scientific response.
“World AMR Awareness Week is not just about raising awareness; it is a call to action. As we move forward, our focus shifts from establishing systems to ensuring the sustainability of AMR containment measures across Pakistan’s human and animal health sectors,” stated Dr. Salman.
To commemorate World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week (WAAW), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in collaboration with the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (MoNHSRC) and the Fleming Fund, organized the National AMR Symposium.
The symposium, themed “Sustainability of AMR Containment in Pakistan,” brought together top health officials, policymakers, and international partners to strategize on maintaining the momentum in the fight against drug-resistant infections.
The Special Secretary Health in his inaugural address reaffirmed the government’s resolve to tackle AMR through policy enforcement and resource allocation. The Secretary noted that sustainable containment requires a robust “One Health” approach, integrating efforts across all sectors especially at provincial level.
Representing the Fleming Fund, Dr. Qadeer Ahsan, Country Lead, spoke on the transition toward self-reliance. He mentioned that the Fleming Fund has invested significantly in modernizing Pakistan’s diagnostic landscape. The goal of this symposium is to map out how these investments will be sustained locally to ensure continuous, high-quality data generation that informs policy and saves lives.
Following the opening plenary, a comprehensive technical session took place, focusing on the pillars of the One Health approach, experts presented updates on the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) surveillance programs, stressing that robust IPC is the first line of defense against resistance. Speakers shared the latest progress reports and recent findings from the national AMR surveillance system, providing a data-driven snapshot of the current resistance landscape in Pakistan. Speakers also discussed Environmental AMR Monitoring, highlighting the presence of resistant pathogens in the environment and the need for better waste management protocols.
The symposium concluded with a high-level panel discussion focused on the Implementation of the AMR National Action Plan (NAP) 2.0. The discussion addressed existing operational challenges and outlined a concrete way forward. Stakeholders agreed on a roadmap to enhance inter-provincial coordination and ensure that the strategies discussed are effectively operationalized to secure the nation’s health against the threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
