By A, KNA
The University of Nairobi, through Fleming Fund Kenya Country Grant in collaboration with National Antimicrobial Stewardship Interagency (NASIC), hosted the official launch of World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) at a Nairobi hotel, with stakeholders calling for urgent attention on the scenario.
Stakeholders including government officials, county representatives, and global partners underlined the urgent need for coordinated action against the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The event underscored Kenya’s commitment to a One Health approach, addressing human, animal, and environmental health as interconnected challenges.
Dr Charles Kandie, representing the Director-General of Health, highlighted the urgency of tackling AMR, warning that humanity is already “bleeding” in a fight that, if unchecked, could undo decades of medical progress.
“Procedures we once took for granted—safe childbirth, surgery, cancer treatment are at risk,” he said.
Dr Kandie stressed that AMR is a cross-sectoral threat affecting health, food systems, and the environment. “We must strengthen regulation, mainstream AMR into national programmes, and sustain multisectoral coordination,” he said.
Adding the agriculture perspective, Dr Wekesa, representing the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Livestock, Dr Paul Kipronoh Ronoh, highlighted the livestock sector’s pivotal role in AMR containment.
Speaking on behalf of the PS, Dr Wekesa noted that responsible antimicrobial use in livestock is essential, given that the sector supports more than half of Kenya’s agricultural workforce.
He applauded partners including the Fleming Fund, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) for strengthening surveillance, laboratories, and data systems across sectors.
She also urged counties, as front-line custodians, to actively implement AMR interventions and engage in multisectoral coordination.
Speaking on behalf of ILRI and the University of Nairobi, Eric Farrer outlined the programmer’s achievements in AMR surveillance across human, animal, and environmental sectors.
“We have refurbished twelve human health labs, seven animal labs, and one environmental lab,” he said, adding that Kenya now has functional systems for One Health surveillance.
He highlighted the development of national guidelines, essential veterinary medicine lists, and frameworks for linking genomic surveillance across sectors.
Farrer noted that while significant progress has been made, sustaining momentum will require domestic financing and further investments to operationalize environmental surveillance, scale genomic approaches, and establish county-level AMR demonstration centres.
“Kenya is in a much stronger position than before the Fleming Fund began, but the next steps are critical for long-term sustainability,” he said.
Speakers agreed that AMR is a present and urgent global threat. The event called on all stakeholders, healthcare professionals, veterinarians, environmentalists, farmers, policymakers, youth, and civil society to engage in awareness-raising, stewardship, and evidence-driven interventions.
Officials drummed support for the WAAW 2025 theme: Act Now, Protect the Present, Secure the Future.
“The actions we take today will determine the health and prosperity of generations to come,” said Dr. Wekesa, as participants applauded the combined efforts of government, international partners, and local communities in confronting AMR.