Antibiotic use and resistance in animals: map it and deal with it

At the premises of the Belgium Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) on June 15 the founding papers for the knowledge centre of antibiotic use and resistance in animals (AMCRA) were signed.

It will serve as a knowledge centre for everything related to antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in animals.

 

The founders and funders of AMCRA are the agricultural Flemish and Walloon farmers organizations, the Association of Feed Manufacturers (Bemefa), Pharma.be, the Supreme Council of the Order of Veterinarians in conjunction with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Ghent University, the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FAVV) and the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAGG).

 

In its operation, the AMCRA shall strive for maximum participation of all stakeholders through a comprehensive advisory board to achieve a sustainable policy in veterinary antibiotics use in Belgium.

 

AMCRA it is located in the Veterinary Faculty of Ghent University.

The use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine and livestock production and the consequent development of resistance in animals and humans is a major problem. With the establishment of AMCRA all participants and the government join forces in order to address this issue.

 

AMCRA is an unprecedented, unique and industry-wide initiative with a mission to collect and analyze all information related to the use of and resistance to antimicrobial agents in animals in Belgium and to communicate the outcomes in a neutral and objective manner.

 

All this in order to safeguard both public health and animal health and welfare and to achieve a sustainable antibiotic policy in Belgium.