Agricultural governance to strengthen the multisectoral response to antimicrobial resistance: the experience of Bolivia

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the main threats to human health. The effective implementation of the One Health approach poses important governance challenges. Despite the international recognition of the need for multisectoral coordination to address AMR, progress in consolidating effective governance mechanisms remains limited. In Bolivia, despite attempts to establish a multisectoral committee and a National Action Plan on AMR (NAP), these have not been consolidated. In this context, the National Service for Agricultural Health and Food Safety (SENASAG) implemented the Committee for the Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance in Agricultural Health and Food Safety (CC-RAM), which made it possible to strengthen sectoral coordination, alignment of stakeholders, and the implementation of sectoral actions. A qualitative approach is used, based on the analysis of the institutional process of implementing a governance mechanism in the agricultural sector. The case study of Bolivia suggests that, in the context analyzed, agricultural governance may help create favorable conditions for strengthening efforts to address AMR within the sector and could contribute to the effective and sustainable functioning of multisectoral governance under a One Health approach.