Syllabus:
GS3: Science and Technology – Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.
Context:
By 2050, Antimicrobial Resistance could threaten food security for 2 billion people and cost $100 trillion, according to the first global animal health report by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) released on May 23, 2025.
Findings of the Report
- The report found that pathogens were increasingly resistant to treatment, with some no longer responding to antimicrobial drugs.
- A detailed comparison of antimicrobial use in aquaculture and land-based food animals showed that fluoroquinolones comprised 15.8% of aquaculture use, sparking concerns over the use of vital antibiotics in aquatic settings.
- About 20% of WOAH members still use antimicrobials as growth promoters, with 7% using critically important drugs like colistin, enrofloxacin, and fosfomycin.
- The report also indicated that antimicrobial use, including antibiotics, in animals fell 5% between 2020 and 2022, with use in Europe seeing the biggest decline of 23%, followed by Africa at 20%.
- The report estimated that cutting antibiotic use by 30% through better hygiene, vaccination, and biosecurity could boost the global economy by $120 billion by 2050.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
- AMR occurs when pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or other disease-causing agents, develop resistance to drugs and can withstand the effects of medication, particularly antibiotics that once effectively treated infections.
- AMR is a natural process that happens over time through genetic changes in pathogens. Its emergence and spread are accelerated by human activity, mainly the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials to treat, prevent, or control infections in humans, animals, and plants.
- The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in human and animal health have driven the development of AMR, which is now recognized as a major global threat to health, food security, and economic stability.
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
- It is the global authority on animal health and was founded in 1924 as the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). However, in May 2003 it adopted the common name World Organisation for Animal Health.
- It is headquartered in Paris, the Organisation maintains permanent relations with over 70 international and regional organisations and has Regional and Sub-regional Offices worldwide.
- It is an intergovernmental organization that focuses on transparently disseminating information on animal diseases, improving animal health globally and thus build a safer, healthier and more sustainable world.