Experts Train Poultry, Livestock Farmers On AMR’s Adversity in Adamawa

Experts train poultry, livestock farmers on AMR’s adversity in Adamawa

From Umar Dankano, Yola

A Laboratory and Biosecurity Specialist with Food and Agricultural Organization, FOA, Abuja Mr David Lazarus said projected reports suggest that about ten million deaths will be recorded by the year twenty fifty, due to Antimicrobial Resistant Infections and a greater percentage of these deaths will occur in Africa.

He gave the indication in Yola at a two day sensitization workshop for Poultry and Aquaculture Stakeholders on Antimicrobial Resistance against the backdrop of the World Anti-microbial Awareness week celebration twenty twenty four with the theme “Educate, Advocate, Acc now”.

Antimicrobial Resistance, AMR, according to Mr Lazarus is a global public health threat that serves as barrier to effective treatment of infections in humans and animals.

The facilitator pointed out that in the agricultural sector, farmers use antimicrobials as growth promoters, egg boosters, infection prevention and for treating animals.

He maintained that the use of such practices, especially without prescription, aggravate the development of resistant pathogens, which could be transferred to other livestock species and the environment.

He further stated that the practice also exposes humans to antimicrobial residues through the consumption of foods of animal origin such as eggs, meat and milk, which could be potentially carcinogenic, allergenic and mutagenic.

According to him, sensitizing farmers is essential to curbing the practice while also underscoring media engagement for response and cascading of its essence to the relevant audience.

The workshop is expected to reduced incidence of AMR amongst humans and animals, promote food safety, security and ensure healthy lives and well-being of citizens.

It is also expected to create awareness and sensitize actors in the poultry value chain, schoolchildren, media personnel and the public on AMR and ways of mitigating it, while focusing on appropriate use of antimicrobials.

Also anticipated is behavioral change by the poultry farmers and other actors in the poultry value chain on improved animal husbandry practices and infection prevention, champions for AMR awareness creation identified among schoolchildren and effective communication of AMR by media personnel among others.

Earlier in an address, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, CVON, Doctor Columba Vakuru urged the participants to take advantage of the workshop to change the harmful practice of Antibiotics predicated by unprescribed umsage.

Represented by a Federal Epidemiologist, Doctor Hassan Wunan Danbaki, the CVON, cautioned poultry farmers agaimst unethical practice.

Corroborating, the Director of Veterinary Services, Adamawa state, Doctor Nyalas Bathelemew said the essence of the workshop was to sensitive livestock and poultry farmers on the need to avoid unnecessary use of unprescribed medication on their poultry products.

Nyalas who described the sensitization workshop as timely noted that the Ministry of Livestock and Aquaculture has put mechanism in place to check illegal across the counter sellers of the poultry products with a view to sanitizing the system for healthy poultry farming.

Topics treated at the workshop included Introduction to Antimicrobial Resistance, AMR, in the Animal Health Sector; Vaccination and use of Probiotics as Alternative to use of Antibiotics; as well as Implementation of Biosecurity, IPC Measures in Poultry, Fish Farmers and LMBs for Prevention of AMR.COV.AP.