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The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD, has highlighted the global challenge associated with Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) on today, European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) which coincides with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) World Antibiotic Awareness Week (18 – 24 November 2019). 

The WHO has described AMR as “a catastrophe that must be managed with the utmost urgency”. Minister Creed stated that whilst AMR is firstly a serious public health concern, it is also a challenge for animal health and welfare as well as our shared environment. The Minister also commented that antibiotics need to be safeguarded for the benefit of both humans and animals, and that strategies to reduce the use of antibiotics in both the human and animal health sectors is seen as a key intervention in tackling AMR. Minister Creed said that actions can be taken to improve animal health and prevent disease which will help reduce the use of antibiotics.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Health have adopted a ‘One Health’ approach to AMR and encourage multidisciplinary collaborative efforts across different sectors such as health, agriculture and the environment to achieve the best health outcomes for people and animals. The Minister acknowledged the sustained collaboration and leadership shown by industry stakeholders across the human healthcare and agri-food and environmental sectors in addressing the challenge of AMR.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is pleased to jointly organise the upcoming “ONE HEALTH Antimicrobial and Anthelmintic Resistance Conference Awareness to Action” taking place in the Tullamore Court Hotel on Wednesday 27 November 2019. The Minister has welcomed this conference as a means of highlighting the continued global concern in relation to Antimicrobial Resistance, and its potential threat to human and animal health, as well as the challenges to food security and the environment. The conference underlines Ireland's continuing commitment to addressing the challenge of AMR and focusses on creating a greater awareness of AMR amongst farmers and professionals serving the agri-food industry. There will also be an emphasis on clear concise practical actions which can be taken on Irish farms to reduce their need to use antimicrobials and anthelmintics.

Finally, the Minister acknowledged the ongoing support and collaboration with industry stakeholders, particularly the members of the iNAP animal health sector committee who are working to deliver the many actions contained in Ireland’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2017-2020. The ambitious implementation plan for the animal health and environmental sector can only be achieved by various stakeholders taking on leadership roles and working in partnership.