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(GIST OF SCIENCE REPORTER) Wastewater and Solid Waste Management

(OCTOBER-2024)

The World Health Organization (WHO) released its first ever global guidance on antibiotic pollution stemming from manufacturing processes.

The new guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for antibiotic manufacturing sheds light on this important but neglected challenge ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
The emergence and spread of AMR caused by antibiotic pollution could undermine the effectiveness of antibiotics globally, including the medicines produced at the manufacturing sites responsible for the pollution.
Pollution contributes to antibiotic resistance, potentially undermining the effectiveness of medicines manufactured at the very same site. Yet, high levels of antibiotics in water bodies downstream of manufacturing sites have been widely documented.
Currently, antibiotic pollution from manufacturing is largely unregulated and quality assurance criteria typically do not address environmental emissions.
The guidance was developed in close collaboration with a diverse group of international experts representing academia, regulators, inspectors, international organizations such as UNEP, and other sectors.
The guidance provides human health-based targets to reduce the risk of emergence and spread of AMR, as well as targets to address risks for aquatic life caused by all antibiotics intended for human, animal or plant use. It covers all steps from the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulation into finished products, including primary packaging.