It is World Antibiotics Awareness Week.
According to American Farm Bureau Federation’s Newsline, this week of observance aims to increase awareness of global antibiotic resistance and encourage best practices.
A new World Health Organization multi-country survey reveals most respondents are confused about antibiotic resistance and do not understand how to stop it from growing.
American Farm Bureau’s Trudy Wastweet says everyone, including food-producing farmers, need to make a commitment to reducing use.
“Scientists will tell you that all users of antibiotics need to make a commitment to reducing use to those situations where an antibiotic can be effective and can have good efficacy to make a difference with the disease treatment plan, whether we’re talking about antibiotic use on a farm, or antibiotic prescriptions to people,” Wastweet said.
According to the World Health Organization’s survey, 73 percent of respondents think farmers should give fewer antibiotics to food-producing animals. However, understanding the risks of antibiotic resistance, many farmers have already changed their strategy when using antibiotics.
“They are a very costly product to use and so they’re going to be very selective of when antibiotics are used; only to treat, prevent disease, very purposefully,” Wastweet said.
To reduce antibiotic resistance in the future, Wastweet says a collaboration between human health providers, veterinarians, livestock producers and consumers will be key.
“This is going to definitely be a partnership to work through efforts to fight resistance and to keep these products effective for both human and animal medicine,” Wastweet said.