End non-essential use of antimicrobials in livestock

A rational response by WHO to the crisis in antimicrobial resistance Tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a priority of the World Health Organization’s public health agenda, and in November 2017 the organisation launched guidelines on the use of medically important antimicrobials in the food production industry. Their unambiguous recommendations were that their routine use for animal growth promotion and disease prevention in healthy animals should be discontinued (box 1).1 In line with the global action plan on AMR,2 the aim is to help preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials critical for human medicine. As a supranational body, WHO has taken the opportunity to put independent pressure on healthcare policy makers to now respond to its challenge. Box 1 ### Recommendations from WHO1 1. An overall reduction in use of all classes of medically important antimicrobials in food producing animals 2. Complete restriction of use of all classes of medically important antimicrobials in food producing animals for growth promotion 3. 3 Complete restriction of use of all classes of medically important antimicrobials in food producing animals for prevention of infectious diseases that have not yet been clinically diagnosed 4. 4a Suggest that antimicrobials classified as critically important for human medicine should not be used for control of the dissemination of a clinically diagnosed infectious disease identified within a group of food producing animals 5. 4b Suggest that antimicrobials classified as highest priority (see below) critically important for human medicine should not be used for treatment of food producing animals with a clinically diagnosed … RETURN TO TEXT