The SADC Deputy Executive Secretary responsible for Regional Integration (DES-RI), Ms. Angele Makombo N'Tumba took part as a Panelist in a High-level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) during the United Nations General Assembly on 26 September 2024. The meeting was held under the theme ‘Investing in the present and securing our future together: accelerating multisectoral global, regional and national actions to address antimicrobial resistance’.
The Panel discussion focused on addressing the urgent antimicrobial resistance crisis across the human, animal, plant, and environmental sectors through equity, access, building awareness, and innovation. The DES-RI particularly tackled the question of how awareness can better be raised and educate communities, particularly vulnerable population, who usually have limited access to services in order to stimulate for an effective behavioural change ensuring prevention and treatment of AMR in a multisectoral manner.
She highlighted three issues that are critical to make a difference i.e. listening to be heard, coming up with alternatives and adapting to adopt. In this regard, she stressed that it is important that the world listens and learns from local community experiences and practices in dealing with crop, animals and human infections. This is because local and indigenous knowledge and approaches are relevant for advocating for effective AMR interventions on account of a strong ownership of the change we seek and subsequent behaviour change.
She also stressed that listening must be done to actually listen to understand the rationale behind what the community does before suggesting any change. The buy-in will be easier because communities will consider the solutions and change as their own. In this respect, alternatives that are suggested must foster, promote and empower communities for development. The message to vulnerable local communities and indigenous societies should be tailor made to address local issues of concern.
The DES-RI assured the meeting that the subject is of utmost relevance to SADC Member States and these issues from this meeting would be tabled for consideration at the upcoming Ministerial meetings in November 2024.
