At the recent meeting of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, world leaders agreed to target reductions on antimicrobial use in agriculture.
This is as part of a target to reduce human deaths from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by 10% by 2030.
According to a political declaration adopted at the assembly, some 4.95 million human deaths every year are associated with AMR.
The declaration includes recommended actions across a number of areas, including agriculture.
On agriculture and animal health, the declaration includes commitments to, by 2030, meaningfully reduce the quantity of antimicrobials used globally in the agri-food systems by prioritising and funding implementation of measures to prevent and control infections.
The declaration also calls for “ensuring prudent, responsible and evidence-based use of antimicrobials in animal heath”.
This would be achieved through the list of priority diseases maintained by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and an initiative run by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to reduce antimicrobial use on farms.
Other actions targeted in the declaration include preventative strategies, including animal vaccination strategies; good husbandry practices; biosecurity, and water, sanitation and hygiene.
On the environment, the declaration outlines a need to prevent and address the discharge of antimicrobials into the environment. It also calls for increased research and knowledge on the environmental dimensions of AMR.
The declaration has been welcomed by the European Commission, which said that AMR is “one of the greatest health threats of our times, placing significant strain on our healthcare systems”.
In Europe, about 20% of bacterial infections are resistant to antibiotics, with this figure as high as 40% in some member states.
Commenting on the declaration, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said: “[The] political declaration is a strong signal of the global commitment to address antimicrobial resistance, a significant and evolving health threat to every person, community and country.
“The declaration puts a much-needed spotlight on AMR. We now need to turn these commitments into real actions and intensify our global collaboration in tackling AMR,” Commissioner Kyriakides said.
