"Act now: protect our present, secure our future” is the motto of the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) that promotes rational antibiotic use, starting today. The slogan highlights the need for sustained action against antimicrobial resistance, a threat to human, animal and environmental health. Belgium has managed to reduce both antibiotic use in animals and resistance to some of these molecules. Building on those encouraging results, we continue our endeavours for safe use of antibiotics, in order to preserve them for future generations.
Antimicrobial resistant bacteria threaten the health and welfare of both humans and animals. Resistant bacteria are transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa, either by direct contact or by indirect contact through the environment. In Belgium, our antimicrobial policy is founded on the "One Health" approach, integrating humans, animals and the environment.
In that policy domain, the results for the animal sector are most encouraging. Overall antibiotic sales in the Belgian animal sector dropped by 59.9 % since 2011. During that same period, antibiotic classes considered as critically important and high-priority for public health, presented a 81.0 % sales decrease (for quinolones and third- and fourth generation cephalosporins), and even 85.4 % (for colistin) respectively . Since 2017 we’ve been recording antibiotic use on farms with pigs, veal calves, broilers and laying hens at national level with a centralized ledger. Data collection and analysis allow us to measure antibiotic use at farm level. By communicating farm-level results, we raise awareness among stakeholders. Moreover, we offer practical solutions by coaching farms with a history of high antibiotic use over several consecutive years.
Since 2023 our data collection has been extended to cattle and turkeys and other poultry categories. We will monitor the evolution of antibiotic use in those sectors and will use individual benchmark reports to encourage responsible antibiotic use. From 2026, we will include data for other food-producing animals (small ruminants, ducks, rabbits, fish) and horses. From 2029, we will also monitor antibiotic use in pets. "What gets measured gets managed” – being aware of the facts brings the awareness needed for any behavioural change to reduce antibiotic use and to curb resistance development.
The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week for rational antibiotic use is all about communication and raising awareness. Dr Fabiana Dal Pozzo, coordinator of the Knowledge Centre on Antibiotic Use and Resistance in Animals (AMCRA), points out that the "Let’s talk antibiotics" campaign was first launched in Belgium in 2022. This campaign invites prescribers, patients and pet owners to exchange information on good practice and rational antibiotic use, by starting a dialogue from questions such as: "My cat has the same symptoms as last year, can I use the remaining antibiotics?" or "Can resistance in animals cause problems for humans?". Veterinarians can order and download the awareness raising material (posters, flyers and videos) free of charge. Vets are key players in this field with significant social impact.
The federal government and the sector partners involved in reducing antibiotic use in the animal sector are working on a new "Antibiotics Covenant" to continue their joint efforts and achieve the reduction targets set by AMCRA in its Vision 2030. Meanwhile Belgium looks forward to its upcoming national "One Health" action plan to combat antimicrobial resistance, aimed at protecting human, animal and environmental health by safeguarding the effectiveness of antibiotics for future generations.
More information
Dr Fabiana Dal Pozzo - AMCRA coordinator
0479 56 04 20
fabiana.dalpozzo@amcra.be
Reduced and responsible use of antibiotics: those are the pillars of the AMCRA action plans "Vision 2020", "Vision 2024" and "Vision 2030". Those plans aim at reducing antimicrobial resistance in veterinary medicine in Belgium. AMCRA understands that awareness raising is crucial for proper antibiotic use and intends to guide veterinarians towards well-informed decisions when choosing for antibiotic treatment; hence it has developed guidelines for the main infectious diseases in domestic animal species. Each guideline takes into account several criteria, including the human health impact of a given antibiotic (www.e-formularium.be).
"The Covenant between the federal government and all relevant sector partners on antibiotic use reduction in the animal sector" for the period 2021-2024 was signed by the federal government, represented by the ministers of public health and agriculture, and by the sector organisations pharma.be, ABS, BFA, Boerenbond, FWA, the poultry sector organisations (Landsbond Pluimvee and VEPEK), the veterinary associations UPV, VeDa and SAVAB-Flanders, the regional Orders of Veterinarians (NGROD and CRFOMV), the animal health organisations DGZ and ARSIA, the specifications managers Belbeef, Belplume, Belpork, BVK vzw, Codiplan, MilkBE, AB Register and AMCRA.
More information can be found on the following websites: AMCRA, FASFC, FAMHP, FPS VVVL and https://letstalkantibiotics.be/.