The Regional Representation for Europe of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) joined other partners in the Quadripartite Alliance (WHO, FAO, UNEP) at the 2nd Conference on “Food Safety and Joint Efforts to Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance,” held on 20-21 November 2025 in Moscow.
The event was organised by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) and the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor. Over 100 specialists from nine countries in the Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia (EECCA) region, Mongolia, as well as the Russian Federation constituent entities, participated in the forum.
The scientific programme opened with a plenary session featuring welcoming remarks from Rospotrebnadzor Head Anna Popova, who highlighted the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the need for a comprehensive approach to address it.
In his statement to the conference participants, WOAH Regional Representation for Europe Senior Advisor Dr Vasili Basiladze emphasised that veterinarians play a central role in ensuring food security and safeguarding human health today.
"It is their professionalism that determines not only the health of animals but also the quality of food on every person's table. From farm to fork, veterinary specialists ensure biosecurity, control animal-derived products, investigate disease outbreaks, and provide timely responses, minimising risks to society," Dr Basiladze noted.
Welcoming remarks were also delivered by representatives of FAO, WHO, and UNEP. The two-day forum featured one plenary and five sectional sessions with 40 presentations on interdisciplinary AMR monitoring, diagnostics, regional cooperation, and innovations. Vasili Basiladze’s presentation on the role of veterinary services in ensuring food safety and combating antimicrobial resistance can be downloaded here.
Participants also discussed the standardisation of research, the implementation of AI for predicting epidemiological situations, and the development of the Regional AMR Laboratory Network in EECCA countries. The importance of expanding databases such as VGArus and providing material and technical support to laboratories was emphasised. The conference concluded that a comprehensive approach to combating AMR remains highly relevant.
