The Director of Farm Services at the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology (FCAH&PT), Ibadan, Dr. John Ajayi, has called on livestock farmers to minimize the use of antibiotics on animals to combat the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Speaking at the 2024 Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Summit organized by FCAH&PT in collaboration with its Department of Animal Health Technology, Dr. Ajayi highlighted the risks associated with excessive antibiotic use in livestock farming.
“My advice for livestock farmers—those who produce animals we consume, such as poultry products and other animal proteins—is to raise their animals in a way that requires minimal use of antibiotics. The more antibiotics are used, the greater the risk to society from antimicrobial resistance,” he stated.
Ajayi further recommended alternatives to antibiotics, such as probiotics, prebiotics, acidifiers, and yeast, to enhance livestock growth without compromising public health.
“Using antibiotics as a growth enhancer is counterproductive,” he added. “Antibiotics should only be used when an animal is clearly diagnosed with an illness and requires treatment.”
The Provost of FCAH&PT, Dr. Adekoya Owosibo, emphasized the institution’s commitment to raising awareness about AMR. “This week is Antimicrobial Awareness Week, and we see it as our responsibility to educate the public, especially livestock farmers, about the dangers of antibiotic residues in animal products and their effects on human health,” Owosibo said.
The summit, themed “Antimicrobial Resistance: Causes, Effects, and Prevention in the Environment, Animals, and Humans,” featured a range of activities, including a roadshow on November 22, 2024, to educate communities on AMR and antimicrobial stewardship. It also included free medical screenings for over 100 people, sponsored by Nikzar Medical Centre, Bode Igbo, Ibadan.
Prominent speakers at the summit included Dr. Olusegun Ajisefini, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity at Cedars-Sinai Hospital Systems, Beverly Hills, USA, alongside experts from FCAH&PT.