A regional meeting to explore the link between water, food, and antibiotics

2025-03-27

ReAct Latin America is organizing a regional meeting to understand the profound interrelationships between water, food and antibiotics, which are three essential elements of health care. The meeting follows the expression of need for discussions on this theme from organizations in Ecuador, Brazil and Argentina, which are collectively developing solutions to the challenges of public and planetary health.

The International Encounter on Water, Food, and Antibiotics is scheduled for May 14-17, 2025, in Cuenca and will bring together educators, social organizations, scientists, farmers, artists, and health professionals from the Latin America region to share community experiences in addressing antibiotic resistance and promoting sustainable food systems.

The meeting will also highlight how the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in agriculture and livestock farming contaminates water and soil, accelerating bacterial resistance. There are also plans to discuss sustainable solutions, such as agro-ecological models of food production and public policies that protect aquatic ecosystems and contribute to reducing the incidence of infectious diseases and the resulting use of antibiotics.

The city of Cuenca, Ecuador, known for its strong efforts to protect water sources, will host the meeting.