WHO releases guidance on waste management for manufacturing antibiotics

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released its first-ever guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for manufacturing antibiotics. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the global health body said the new guidance aims to curb the challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The release of the guidance came ahead of the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) high-level meeting on AMR slated for September 26.

AMR is driven by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials.

It occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to medicines, leading to the spread of infections that are difficult to treat.

The WHO said 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 organisation said.

The organisation said 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.

It said the guidance will provide human health-based targets to reduce the risk of emergence and spread of AMR and also includes best practices for risk management, including internal and external audit and public transparency.

The guidance will also address risks for aquatic life caused by all antibiotics intended for human, animal, or plant use.

Yukiko Nakatani, WHO assistant director-general for AMR, said waste from antibiotic manufacturing can “facilitate the emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria”.

“This can spread globally and threaten our health. Controlling pollution from antibiotic production contributes to keeping these life-saving medicines effective for everyone,” Nakatani said.

The target audiences of the guidance are regulatory bodies; procurers of antibiotics; entities responsible for generic substitution schemes and reimbursement decisions; third-party audit and inspection bodies; industrial actors and their collective organisations and initiatives; investors; and waste and wastewater management services.