G/SPS/GEN/1742  
29 October  2019 
(19-7196) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
PROGRAMME FOR THE SURVEILLANCE OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE  
COMMUNICATION FROM ARGENTINA  
The following communication , received on  28 October  2019, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of  Argentina . 
 
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1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1  Executive Report  – National Programme for Antimicrobial R esistance (AMR) 
Surveillance  in animals for human consumption  
1.1.  Since the Joint Ministry of Health /former Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries 
Resolution Nos. 834/2015 and 391/2015 were signed respectiv ely, approving the Argentinian 
Strategy  for the Control of Antimicrobial Resistance , the National Service of Agro -alimentary  Quality 
and Health  (SENASA) has been working on various strategic directions  for th e surveillance  and 
control of AMR in animal health as elaborated on  below . 
1.2.  The National AMR Surveillance Programme  was approved through  SENASA Resolution 
No. 591/2015 as part of the  National Strategy . Its purpose is to  determine and monitor sustainably 
over time the  prevalenc e of resistance to  different  antimicrobials  in commensal and zoonotic bacteria  
with a view to assessing possible measures  aimed at delaying  or impeding  the emergence and spread 
of resistant  bacteria  and thus  minimize its risk to public human and  animal  health . 
1.3.  To date  1,200 samples have been processed , with 200 taken from broilers , 200 from pigs and  
200 from cattle in  2017 and 600 from broilers in  2018, all taken in refrigerated storage centre s in 
line with  OIE guidelines . 
1.4.  For the period underway  (June 2019 – June 2020) the processing of  600 samples  from pigs 
has been foreseen . 
2  INTERACTION WITH OTHER NATIONAL AGENCIES  
2.1  Interaction with the Ministry o f Health and Social Welfare , the National  Laboratories 
and Health Institut ions Admini stration ( ANLIS ), and  the Carlos G.  Malbrán  Institute  
2.1.  Training of  SENASA official s is carried out  by professionals from the  Antimicrobial Service  at 
the Carlos G.  Malbrán  Institute . 
2.2.  This Institute  has been working uninterruptedly  on monitoring antimicrobial resistance  since 
1986. Currently, it coordinates WHONET Argentina, which is composed of  96 laboratories attached 
to health  institut ions throughout the country . 
2.3.  WHONET is a global surveillance network developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) , 
whose aim is to analyse resistance data  obtained across the world in order to predict  the behaviour  
of the factors determining resistance in the world . G/SPS/GEN/1742  
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  2.4.  Based on its experience , this Institute acts as an AMR reference centre  for the WHO  and 
conducts training  for professionals throughout the region . 
2.2  Participa tion in the National Commission  for the Control of Antimicrobial Resistance 
(CoNaCRA)  
2.5.  SENASA , through the AMR Surveillance  Programme , participates in CoNaCRA meetings.  
CoNaCRA was established by virtue of Article 2 of the Joint  Ministry of Health/former Ministry of 
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Resolu tions No. 834/2015 and 391/2015 respectiv ely. 
2.6.  CoNaCRA 's mission is to  verify compliance with Argentina's Strategy for AMR Contr ol along the 
following lines : 
1. AMR surveillance  in human and  animal  health , agri-food production  and use of 
antimicrobials ; 
2. Regulation of use of antimicrobials  in human and animal health and in agri -food 
production ; 
3. Preven tion and  control of infections asso ciated with  human health care , animal health 
and agri -food production . 
3  DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNICATION  TOOLS AND TIMELY DISSEMINATION OF 
INFORMATION  
3.1.  SENASA , through the Coordination Agency for Institutional Communication , produces  on an 
ongoing basis advertis ing spots that are carried on digital media, in addition to radio and TV 
interviews on programmes related to  agricultural activities,  and participates as a presenter in 
different forums , conferences and related events  targeting the production sector and health 
professionals . 
3.2.  It is currently developing a web page for the Programme , on which  recommendations, outreach 
materials , and other types of information aimed at the production sector, industry professionals and 
consumers is posted : 
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/senasa/micrositios/resistencia -antimicrobiana . 
4  RISK MITIGATION MEASURES  
4.1.  Through the Under -Secretariat for Livestock of the  Ministry of Agriculture, Livestoc k and 
Fisheries,  and with the collaboration of  the Department for Veterinary Products  (Coordina tor of the 
Surveillance Programme ), 2017 and 2018 results were presented to business chambers that bring 
together the productive sectors  with a view to presentin g the  "problem" looking to the future  and 
proposing medium -term mitigation policies . 
4.2.  In this context of discussion  and premised on  real data  on resistance levels  in our productive 
system  obtained through the surveillance system , all the stakeholders involv ed in the production 
chain evaluated  the potential impact of  withdrawing the use of  colistin from veterinary medicine . 
4.3.  Therapeutic alternatives , good agricultural practices and  animal  welfare measures were 
proposed and in J anuary this year , the decision was taken via  SENASA Resolution No. 22/2019 to 
prohibit the use of colistin in veterinary medicine . 
5  USE OF ANTIMICROBIALS AS GROWTH PROMOTERS IN ANIMALS  
5.1.  Currently , the use of antimicrobials as growth promoters is allowed . However, as part of the 
national ARM control strategy , it is foreseen in the medium -term that use of  antimicrobials for this 
purpose will be prohibited . 
5.2.  While no specific date has been set for  implementation of said ban , there is sufficient consensus  
among all sectors  to work towa rds this objective . 
5.3.  The ban will be applied gradually by category of  antimicrobials  depending on their importance 
for human health (using as a baseline  the WHO classification of antibiotics ), based on risk and impact G/SPS/GEN/1742  
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  assessment , so as to  allow the producti ve sector sufficient time to make the necessary adjustments  
depending on adaptation possibilities or flexibilities within the system to forego growth promoters  
without affecting production . Dialogue and information exchange with the productive sector  are key 
to aligning positions . 
6  RESEARCH  
6.1.  Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  signed by the Ministry of Health and the  
Ministry of  Social  Development of Argentina and the United Kingdom  in 2018 , both countries  
promoted interna tional cooperation in the area of AMR . 
6.2.  As part of this  initiative , last year a joint invitation was issued to support  research projects 
between the  National Council of Scientific and Technical Research of Argentina (CONICET) and the 
Global A ntimicrobial Resistance  Innovation  Fund of the  UK Department of Health and  Social Care 
through the  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Natural 
Environment Research Council (NERC).  
6.3.  In this context, five projects were prese nted – selected for funding  – that involve  officials from 
SENASA, the National Institute of Agricultural Technology  (INTA), the National Laboratories 
Administration, Dr Carlos C.  Malbrán  Health Institutions  (ANLIS) and CONICET, as well as national 
universi ties such as  La Plata University (UNLP) ; Córdoba University (UNC) and Buenos Aires 
University (UBA) , and the Province of Buenos Aires Centre (UNICEN).  
6.4.  Research is aimed at determining  patterns in the use of antimicrobials ; know-how, attitudes 
and practices in livestock rearing ; structures and skills of veterinarians and vets' assistants ; water, 
waste and sanitation management systems ; the behaviour and movement of  antimicrobial -resistant 
organism s in food systems  and other fundamental elements in a nimal husbandry . 
7  FO.AR COOPERATION  
7.1.  In the context of the Argentin e Fund for South -South and Triangular Cooperation  (FO.AR) and 
Argentina's strategic association with the  Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), the first  phase 
of the  triangular project to enhance surveillance and integrated detection of  AMR in the Caribbean 
Community  (CARICOM)  was completed.  
7.2.  In July last year , Lisandro Ruiz, a veterinarian with the Depart ment of Veterinary Products, 
SENASA , together with  officials  from the Antimicrobial Service at  ANLIS , conducted training days  in 
health centres and national laboratories  in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.  
7.3.  The second p hase of this collaboration project will be rolled out in  October , when eight officials 
from Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana and Surinam e visit our country to receive laboratory and sampling 
training  for implementation of the ARM surveillance programmes . 
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