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A public survey released by World Animal Protection following a global survey to understand people’s knowledge and attitudes towards antibiotic use, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and farm animal pandemic risk, shows that 83% of people surveyed in 15 countries, including Kenya, are concerned that the next pandemic could originate in farm animals. The survey also shows that 88% of respondents were concerned about the possibility of antibiotic resistant organisms (Superbugs) coming from farm animals due to overuse of antibiotics in farm animals.
Dr. Victor Yamo, Agricultural Campaigns Manager for World Animal Protection says “We decided to release the results of the survey on day 75th Celebrations of World Food Day whose theme is Grow, nurture, sustain. Together. because food is the essence of life and preserving access to safe and nutritious food will continue to be an essential part of the response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. ”
The survey also revealed a general lack of knowledge about the use of antibiotics in farm animals, with about 82% of respondents underestimating the amount of antibiotics in the world used in farm animals. Almost three-quarters of the world’s antibiotics are used in intensively farm animals[1] where antibiotics are used to prop up low-welfare practices such as the rearing of fast-growing broilers and the routine mutilation of piglets. All of these animals are housed in stressful and cramped conditions that provide the perfect breeding ground for the spread of infections and the onset of disease.
Another report also published by World Animal Protection in mid-September 2020 found that superbugs are emerging on farms from the overuse of antibiotics, and those superbugs are entering our food chain and environment. This is a risky business: when superbugs are transmitted from animals to people, they make us less able to fight disease. Currently, 700,000 people die each year from infections that cannot be treated with antimicrobials and by 2050, this is expected to increase to 10 million people each year.[2]
Dr. Victor Yamo further add that “At a time like this, when we are planning the Covid-19 recovery journey, it is more important than ever to recognize the need to be careful about what we consume, especially animal products from intensive farming systems. Therefore, we cannot ignore the contribution that the overuse of antibiotics in farm animals is having in increasing resistance to antibiotics: it is a time bomb that could worsen the current public health crisis if antibiotics are not effective in treating secondary infections “.
The survey acknowledges that the concerns are due to personal reasons, for example, 70% of respondents were concerned about the adverse effects of ‘superbugs’ on their health, while 66% were concerned about the impact of superbugs that they contaminate the meat. 71% of those surveyed think that producers need to do more to control the rise in antibiotic resistance in farm animals, compared to 69% who think the government should do more. More than 82% of those surveyed believe that producers should stop using antibiotics to promote growth, although 85% supported the use of antibiotics to treat sick farm animals.
African governments must enact minimum farm animal welfare laws and standards. Governments should also monitor and report on the use of antibiotics in farm animals and restrict the use of antibiotics in farm animals, unless it is for the treatment of sick animals. Retailers and other food outlets should set the bar much higher to ensure that animals in their supply chains are treated well and that antibiotics are used responsibly in agriculture.
