By Lenah Bosibori
Farmers across Kenya have been urged to reduce the overuse of antibiotics in animals as they have become a key driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that is later transferred to humans through the food chain.
Speaking during a webinar commemorating World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week, Dr Patrick Muinde the Research Manager at World Animal Protection said that in many intensive farming systems, antibiotics are used routinely not only to treat infections but also to compensate for poor living conditions that stress animals.
“In these environments, antibiotics are often administered as growth promoters or as preventive treatments, even when animals are not sick,” shared Muinde. “This widespread misuse accelerates the development of resistant bacteria that can then be transmitted to humans through the food chain, direct contact with animals, or environmental contamination.”
Muinde added that the link between industrial animal agriculture and the rise of AMR cannot be ignored. “The future of our food systems depends on transforming agriculture to be more humane and sustainable,” said Muinde.
He further notes that by reducing the overuse of antibiotics can help stop the spread of AMR. “By reducing our reliance on antibiotics in farming and adopting practices that prioritize animal welfare, we can build a healthier future for both people and animals,” adds Muinde.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites evolve to resist the effects of the medicines designed to treat them. The emergence of superbugs microbes resistant to multiple drugs—poses a grave threat to both human and animal health.
Antibiotics are essential for treating infections in both humans and animals, but their overuse in animal farming, especially as growth promoters or for routine disease prevention, contributes significantly to the spread of AMR.
As demand for livestock-derived foods continues to soar—projected to grow by 30% by 2030—the need for responsible antibiotic use in animal agriculture has never been more urgent. By 2050, the global consumption of meat and milk is expected to more than double, increasing the pressure on farming systems that are already contributing to the rise of AMR.
In regions like Africa, where industrial livestock systems are expanding rapidly, the threat of AMR is growing at an unprecedented pace.
This World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, World Animal Protection is calling for the following actions from livestock stakeholders to commit to the responsible use of antibiotics in animal agriculture, limit the use of antibiotics to only when necessary, under the guidance of a veterinarian, and to treat diagnosed infections and end the use of antibiotics as growth promoters.
In addition, they asked that antibiotics be not used routinely to boost growth or compensate for poor animal welfare, strengthen policies and regulations to ensure that antibiotics are used judiciously and that animals are raised in conditions that promote their health and welfare and support humane farming practices that reduce the need for antibiotics by improving animal living conditions, providing better nutrition, and using alternative methods of disease prevention such as vaccination and biosecurity measures.
Stakeholders called for global efforts to transform food systems by supporting campaigns that advocate for better animal welfare and responsible antibiotic use.