A strong advocate for responsible use of antibiotics in animals, AnimalhealthEurope is pleased to see the positive outcome of antibiotic stewardship actions taking effect across Europe.

During the course of 2018 AnimalhealthEurope surveyed its membership of both national associations and company members to get a clear picture of specific actions being taken at national and European level to promote responsible use of antibiotics and safeguard their future efficacy.

An overview of these actions can be accessed via the association’s newly launched webpage: Health for Future Generations.

“As antibiotics are a precious resource for protecting our health and that of our animals, the industry has been active for a number of years now raising awareness and working with vets and farmers to ensure good antibiotic stewardship. We are seeing the very positive effects of these actions in our exchanges with stakeholders, and the more measurable consequences of greater awareness and improved practices to prevent animal illnesses are being demonstrated in recent reporting on antibiotic use,” said Roxane Feller, AnimalhealthEurope Secretary General.

AnimalhealthEurope’s membership across Europe have developed a number of tools and initiatives as part of this antibiotic stewardship to: provide guidance on responsible use; offer training for improving animal health; raise awareness on antibiotic resistance; and invest in the development of innovative products for preventing, diagnosing and treating animal diseases. The association also encourages sustained One Health dialogue with all parties involved in the challenge of antibiotic resistance, and advocates a maximised use of data collected to improve understanding and provide evidence-based insights for policy-making on addressing antibiotic resistance.

“AnimalhealthEurope will continue to be a strong advocate for the responsible use of antibiotics and will encourage further antibiotic stewardship actions to preserve their effectiveness for future generations. We hope that by sharing these best practice actions implemented in the different countries, other stakeholders and other countries can see this a good source for actionable ideas for improving health care practices. We would encourage everyone to join the animal health sector in taking up the position that antibiotics should only be used as little as possible as much as necessary, and to act on that principle.” concluded Ms. Feller.

Visit our Health for Future Generations webpage for an overview of our actions across Europe.

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