The directive, which covers the management of wastewater and solid waste from antibiotic production, comes ahead of a high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to be held during the UN General Assembly in New York later this month.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and become less effective against drugs. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics is a major cause, but many people around the world lack access to these essential medicines.
Antibiotics become less effective
WHO said the emergence and spread of AMR caused by antibiotic contamination could undermine the effectiveness of antibiotics globally, including medicines produced in contaminated manufacturing sites.
However, despite widely documented high levels of antibiotic contamination, the issue is largely unregulated and quality assurance standards generally do not consider emissions to the environment.
Additionally, consumers are not given enough information about how to dispose of unused antibiotics, such as when they have expired or when a course of antibiotics has finished but still has some left.
Potential new threats
“Pharmaceutical waste from antibiotic production could drive emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria“It has the potential to spread globally and pose a threat to our health,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO’s assistant director-general for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). preliminary.
“Controlling pollution from antibiotic production contributes to maintaining the effectiveness of these life-saving medicines. For everyone,” she added.
The WHO said there was a global lack of available information on the environmental hazards caused by medicines production, and noted that several international organisations, including health ministers from the major G7 economies and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), had sought guidance.
Environmental measures are important
“The role of the environment in the emergence, transmission and spread of antimicrobial resistance is a topic of growing evidence and requires careful consideration.” said Jacqueline Alvarez, Director of UNEP’s Industrial Economics Division.
“There is widespread agreement that environmental measures must become a bigger part of the solution. This includes preventing and controlling pollution from municipal systems, manufacturing sites, health care facilities and the agri-food system,” she added.
About the Guidance
The new guidance was developed in close collaboration with a diverse group of international experts, including representatives from academia, regulators, inspectors, international organizations and other sectors.
The goal sets out human health-based targets to reduce the risk of the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and targets to address the risks to aquatic life posed by all antibiotics intended for human, animal and plant use.
Additionally, it covers all steps from active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing and formulation to the finished product, including primary packaging.
“This guidance will be useful to regulators, procurement authorities, inspectors and the industry itself. Standards include strict antibiotic contamination control“Dr Maria Neira, Director of WHO’s Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, said:
“Importantly, a focus on transparency will enable purchasers, investors and the general public to make decisions that take into account manufacturers’ efforts to curb antibiotic contamination.”
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