The Welsh govenrment has allocated an additional £2.5 million in funding for the ongoing work in tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
Announcing the funding, Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said that the government’s aim is to enable continuation of the efforts in tackling AMR and to “ensure Wales carries on making a full contribution to the control of AMR”.
“Antimicrobial resistance is estimated to cause 700,000 deaths each year globally. This figure is estimated to rise to 10 million by 2050 if no action is taken,” she said.
“People and animals will suffer longer illnesses, more deaths and, it will increase pressure on health services for humans and animals.
“I am pleased the work happening in Wales has placed us towards the forefront of efforts to control antimicrobial resistance.”
Griffiths said the control of AMR cannot be done solely by the government and that the control of infectious diseases and of the antibiotics used to treat them are in the hands of animal keepers and their veterinarians.
“It is therefore vital everyone continues to work together towards the same goal,” she said.
Antimicrobial resistance
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to the medicines used to treat them.
The result is infections in people and animals become harder to treat with increasing risks of disease spread, severe illness and death.
Leaving AMR unchecked, the Welsh government said, would have wide-ranging and extremely costly impacts, not only financially but also in terms of public and animal health as well as trade, food security and environmental and socioeconomic development.
The funding announced yesterday (Tuesday, February 28) will further support delivery efforts of Arwain DGC’s work – the Welsh animal AMR control project.
In 2019, it was allocated rural development plan funding to deliver a range of work to control AMR and promote animal health.
The Welsh government said the project’s work is leading the way to capture antibiotic usage data for beef, sheep and dairy sectors across Wales.
