CSE webinar on Pandemics and Industrial Food Animal Farming

Vibha Varshney is an associate editor with Down To Earth. She has 20 years of experience in reporting on health and science issues. She is responsible for two book series -- Body Burden and First Food -- published by the institution. She holds a PhD in Botany.

Amit Khurana is the director of CSE's programme on food safety and toxins. Along with his team, he pushes for necessary change in policies that help contain antimicrobial resistance from animal and environmental routes; and regulate marketing of junk foods and chemical use in crops.

Haileyesus Getahun is Director of the Department of Global Coordination and Partnership on Antimicrobial Resistance at WHO. In this capacity, he is also Director of the Joint Tripartite (FAO/OIE/WHO) Secretariat on Antimicrobial Resistance that coordinate the joint work of the organisations across the One Health spectrum. Earlier, he was Director of the Secretariat of the UN Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance that was established by the UN Secretary General and released a ground- breaking report on how to respond to the global antimicrobial resistance in April 2019.

Anuj Sharma is the Technical officer – AMR, Lab and IPC, World Health Organization Country Office for India. He has worked with WHO Regional Offices and many Member States in South-East Asia and Western Pacific Region. In his current role, he is working closely with the government for containment of antimicrobial resistance. He supported development of India’s National Action Plan on AMR, Delhi Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance, and State Action Plans for Containment of AMR in Kerala (KARSAP), Madhya Pradesh (MP-SAPCAR) and Delhi (SAP-CARD). He coordinated establishment of and provides support to AMR surveillance networks in Maharashtra (MAHASAR), Kerala (KARS-NET), Delhi (WINSAR-D) and national network (WINSAR). He also supported the development of National Guidelines for Infection Prevention and Control in Healthcare Facilities.

Cóilín Nunan is the scientific adviser to the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, an alliance co-founded by the Soil Association, Compassion in World Farming and Sustain to campaign against the overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming. He has co-authored numerous reports on antibiotic resistance and antibiotic residues that highlight the human-health impact of excessive antibiotic use in intensive livestock farming. The Alliance’s work aims to encourage a move to more responsible use of antibiotics in farming, through better regulation, voluntary actions and improvements in production systems, which would also improve animal health and welfare.

Sudhi Rangorath is works for the government of Kerala. He is also a poultry consultant and has been managing broiler breeders. He has taken part and presented papers in various national and international seminars on poultry and AMR. He has developed the concept of Kerala chicken, as part of state’s intervention in broiler chicken production for addressing the constraints of various stakeholders (farmers to consumers).