What’s the importance of the StAR strategy for you and the FOPH? Where do you stand on it?
As a proponent of the One Health approach I would say that the StAR strategy has great significance for me and the FOPH. It’s a first successful step in terms of interdisciplinary prevention in Switzerland. Since 2016 we’ve taken the lead in implementing the cross-divisional strategy in close cooperation with the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary (FSVO), Agriculture (FOAG), and Environment (FOEN) Offices, as well as with the Swiss Conference of the Cantonal Ministers of Public Health (GDK) and many other agents. If we want to prevent the emergence of new antibiotic resistances and limit their transmission and spread, interdisciplinary exchange, common goals, close cooperation across units and the use of synergies are necessary. Good examples of how this is already happening in practice are the information campaign on the StAR strategy and the autumn 2019 campaign to return unused antibiotics. The latter was led by the federal government together with the pharmaSuisse association of pharmacists, the Swiss Medical Association (the FMH), the Swiss Dental Association (the SSO) and the Swiss Veterinary Society (GST/SVS).

Interview with Anne Lévy, Director of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH)

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