Source: Susan Kelly, MEATINGPLACE, 7/24/18



Countries are stepping up to tackle the problem of antimicrobial resistance, but serious gaps remain and there is an urgent need for more investment and action in the animal and food sectors, according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and World Health Organization (WHO).

In animal production, for example, only 64 countries say they follow FAO-OIE-WHO recommendations to limit the use of critically important antimicrobials for growth promotion, the report said. Of these, 39 are high-income countries.

A total of 67 countries report having legislation in place to control production, licensing and distribution of antimicrobials for use in animals. But 56 said that they had no national policy or legislation regarding the quality, safety and efficacy of antimicrobials used in animal and plant health, and their distribution, sale or use, or that they were unable to report whether they have these policies in place.

The second annual report from the agencies charts progress in 154 countries overall, looking at surveillance, education, monitoring and regulating consumption and use of antimicrobials in human health, animal health and production, as well as plants and the environment.

It found that 105 countries have a surveillance system for reporting drug-resistant infections in human health and 68 countries have a system for tracking consumption of antimicrobials. In addition, 123 countries have policies to regulate the sale of antimicrobials, including requiring a prescription for human use — a key measure to tackle overuse and misuse of antimicrobials.

But in some countries, unregulated medicines are still available in places such as street markets, with no limits on how they are used. Medicines are often sold over the counter, and no prescription is requested.

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