NOAH hails five-year plan to combat AMR

NOAH (the National Office of Animal Health) has welcomed the government’s announcement of a new five-year plan to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Chief Executive Dawn Howard said: “NOAH is committed to working with the government and all stakeholders to tackle the serious threat of AMR; we are particularly pleased to see the plan’s focus on areas of key interest to animal health.

“This includes promoting the responsible use of antibiotics and the development of new preventative measures such as animal vaccines. This is a focus for a number of our member companies, and crucial to the One Health approach that unites animal, human and environmental health outcomes.

“NOAH is a leading advocate for the responsible use of antibiotics in animals. Our Animal Medicines Best Practice (AMBP) training programme, produced in partnership with Lantra, provides a valuable online course for farmers and vets and the latest information on antibiotic stewardship.

“The AMBP programme helps to ensure that farmers work with their vets to optimise farm biosecurity, ensuring antibiotics are used only when necessary. This is essential for helping to combat AMR and protect animal health while ensuring that livestock farmers, working with vets, maintain high animal health and welfare standards and sustainable food production.”

The new plan sets out a comprehensive strategy to address AMR, which is responsible for over a million deaths a year worldwide. This includes reducing the use of antibiotics in animals and humans, developing new antibiotics and other antimicrobials, improving surveillance of AMR, and investing in research and innovation.

NOAH members are at the forefront of developing new preventative products such as vaccines. Vaccines help to protect animals from disease in the first place, reducing the need for antibiotics.