I had the honour of being invited to attend the workshop and seminar in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This event – held today and tomorrow – is organized by the Ministry of Health Malaysia in collaboration with the US Embassy in Malaysia as well as the World Health Organization (WHO).

It was a far larger symposium than I expected, with the participants split between human healthcare workers, those doing veterinary work, and a few Malaysian MOH officials.

The event was opened by Mr Dean Thompson, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in KL, and Dr Lo Ying-Ru, Head of Mission and WHO Representative to Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore.

The “plenary” lectures were delivered by Dr Michael Osterholm, Director of CIDRAP and Malaysia’s most prominent ID physician Dato Dr Christopher Lee.

Dato Dr Christopher Lee beginning his address.

The Malaysian antibiotic awareness campaign theme. Roughly translated: antibiotics – do you need them?

This was followed by a list of speakers discussing both human and animal antimicrobial stewardship for the rest of the day, ending with a panel discussion.

Dr Daniel Shar, Senior Regional EID Advisor for USAID Regional Development Mission, talking about a One Health approach to AMR in the Asia-Pacific.

List of products and health supplements in animals – all containing antibiotics.

Aquaculture is a rapidly expanding industry in the world.

A/Prof Direk Limmathurotsukol from MORU, presenting on his favorite topic – the Antibiotic Footprint.