From: Monique Eloit
Sent: Friday, November 4, 2016 1:33 PM
Subject: Preparations for the World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2016

Dear OIE Delegates and Focal Points,

The World Antibiotic Awareness Week will take place this year, from 14 to 20 November 2016.

The aim of this week is to increase awareness of the health risks linked to antibiotic resistance and to encourage best practices in this area to limit the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria.

The OIE is taking an active part in this event and plans to promote it with communication tools especially developed for the occasion. Some of these tools will be used in conjunction with the Handle Antibiotics with Care campaign launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to ensure synergy in our communications on this high-priority issue for animal and human health as well as the environment.

Our communication aims to encourage the implementation of good practices in the use of antibiotics within different target audiences: national authorities, veterinarians, breeders and animal owners.

We will also remind our target groups of the existence of OIE’s intergovernmental standards on antibiotic resistance and promote their implementation throughout the world.

This email provides the OIE’s key messages on antibiotic resistance and informs you about the tools which have been developed for communication on this topic.

❶ The fight against antibiotic resistance: the OIE’s key messages

Antibiotics are essential to protect human health and animal health as well as animal welfare.

Excessive or inappropriate use can lead to the appearance of bacteria which are resistant to antibiotic treatment. This phenomenon, called antibiotic resistance, putsdisease control throughout the world at grave risk.

It is by ensuring the responsible and prudent use of these vital medical treatments, through the application of the OIE’s intergovernmental standards that we can, collectively, continue to protect their effectiveness, through coordinated action between the public health, animal health and environmental sectors.

Veterinarians are part of the solution: they must therefore be well trained and well supervised by the statutory veterinary bodies.

❷ Available communication tools to raise awareness among players (find attached detailed list)

We recently updated the OIEweb portal on antimicrobial resistance (

). One page is dedicatedto the OIE’s communication tools (posters, infographics, animations, covers for social media) which are made available for your communication on the World Antibiotic Awareness Week. They are aimed at a range of audiences:

oNational Authorities

oVeterinarians

oBreeders and animal owners

This year, we produced mini video clips to facilitate the diffusion of the key messages on antimicrobial resistance to the above-mentioned targets.

Do not hesitate to disseminate them to your networks.

❸ Measures undertaken by the OIE

World Antibiotic Awareness Week is an important opportunity to promote awareness among our different audiences of the threat posed by antibiotic resistance and to inform them about the action undertaken by the OIE:

A complete update of the standards for terrestrial and aquatic animals on antibiotic resistance as welltheList of Antimicrobial Agents of Veterinary Importance (May 2015).

A significant contribution from the OIE to the development of the veterinary component of the WHO Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.

An OIE Resolution adopted in May 2015: Combatting antimicrobial resistance and promoting the prudent use of antimicrobial agents in animals

An OIE Resolution adopted in May 2016: Combatting antimicrobial resistance through a One Health approach: Actions and OIE Strategy.

Development under way of a world database on the use of antimicrobials in animal production, linked to the World Animal Health Information System, WAHIS.

This past September the Directors General of the OIE, WHO and FAO delivered speeches at the United Nations General Assembly, in support of the adoption of a political declaration on antimicrobial resistance by Member Countries.

The OIE will communicate in a broader manner on its Strategy to fight antimicrobial resistance shortly.

We will disseminate press releases and an editorial as part of this awareness week to our entire network and publish them on the OIE website as well as on social networks.

We thank you in advance for your involvement in the preparations for the World Antibiotic Awareness Week.

Best regards,

Dr Monique ELOIT
Director General
Directrice générale
Please consider the environment before printingthis email.

The World Antibiotic Awareness Week will take place this year, from 14 to 20 November 2016.

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World Antibiotic Awareness Week
Dear OIE Delegates and Focal Points,
The World Antibiotic Awareness Week will take place this year, from 14 to 20 November 2016.
The aim of this week is to increase awareness of the health risks linked to antibiotic resistance and to encourage best practices in this area to limit the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria.
The OIE is taking an active part in this event and plans to promote it with communication tools especially developed for the occasion. Some of these tools will be used in conjunction with the Handle Antibiotics with Care campaign launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to ensure synergy in our communications on this high-priority issue for animal and human health as well as the environment.
Our communication aims to encourage the implementation of good practices in the use of antibiotics within different target audiences: national authorities, veterinarians, breeders and animal owners.
We will also remind our target groups of the existence of OIE’s intergovernmental standards on antibiotic resistance and promote their implementation throughout the world.
This email provides the OIE’s key messages on antibiotic resistance and informs you about the tools which have been developed for communication on this topic.
❶ The fight against antibiotic resistance: the OIE’s key messages
Antibiotics are essential to protect human health and animal health as well as animal welfare.
Excessive or inappropriate use can lead to the appearance of bacteria which are resistant to antibiotic treatment. This phenomenon, called antibiotic resistance, putsdisease control throughout the world at grave risk.
It is by ensuring the responsible and prudent use of these vital medical treatments, through the application of the OIE’s intergovernmental standards that we can, collectively, continue to protect their effectiveness, through coordinated action between the public health, animal health and environmental sectors.
Veterinarians are part of the solution: they must therefore be well trained and well supervised by the statutory veterinary bodies.
❷ Available communication tools to raise awareness among players (find attached detailed list)
We recently updated the OIEweb portal on antimicrobial resistance (
One page is dedicatedto the OIE’s communication tools (posters, infographics, animations, covers for social media) which are made available for your communication on the World Antibiotic Awareness Week. They are aimed at a range of audiences:
oNational Authorities
oVeterinarians
oBreeders and animal owners
This year, we produced mini video clips to facilitate the diffusion of the key messages on antimicrobial resistance to the above-mentioned targets.
Do not hesitate to disseminate them to your networks.
❸ Measures undertaken by the OIE
World Antibiotic Awareness Week is an important opportunity to promote awareness among our different audiences of the threat posed by antibiotic resistance and to inform them about the action undertaken by the OIE:
A complete update of the standards for terrestrial and aquatic animals on antibiotic resistance as welltheList of Antimicrobial Agents of Veterinary Importance (May 2015).
A significant contribution from the OIE to the development of the veterinary component of the WHO Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.
An OIE Resolution adopted in May 2015: Combatting antimicrobial resistance and promoting the prudent use of antimicrobial agents in animals
An OIE Resolution adopted in May 2016: Combatting antimicrobial resistance through a One Health approach: Actions and OIE Strategy.
Development under way of a world database on the use of antimicrobials in animal production, linked to the World Animal Health Information System, WAHIS.
This past September the Directors General of the OIE, WHO and FAO delivered speeches at the United Nations General Assembly, in support of the adoption of a political declaration on antimicrobial resistance by Member Countries.
The OIE will communicate in a broader manner on its Strategy to fight antimicrobial resistance shortly.
We will disseminate press releases and an editorial as part of this awareness week to our entire network and publish them on the OIE website as well as on social networks.
We thank you in advance for your involvement in the preparations for the World Antibiotic Awareness Week.
Best regards,
Dr Monique ELOIT
Director General
Directrice générale


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