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Embrace Regenerative Agriculture to combat AntiMicrobial Resistance, Nigeria’s Chief Vet urges States

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Kenechukwu Ofomah, Awka

Nigeria’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Columba Teri Vakuru, has described issues of Antimicrobial Resistance, AMR as a global concern that mitigates agricultural productivity and threatens food security.

According to him, the AMR challenges have resulted from mis-use and overuse of antibiotics.

Vakuru was speaking at an awareness creation and sensitization workshop for Poultry and Aquaculture value chain actors on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Awka.

The two day workshop which drew stakeholders across the state was organised by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in collaboration with Management Sciences for Health (MSH)

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microorganisms, like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, become resistant to antimicrobial medicines, making the medicines ineffective and infections harder to treat.

According to Vakuru, who was represented by Dr Akinola Ibukunoluwa, Assistant Director, Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, some of the consequences of AMR to include, prolonged duration of diseases even with treatment, increased cost of treatment or failure and death as well as loss of livelihoods and income.

He said the workshop was staged to enable participants to gain knowledge in the appropriate use of antimicrobials.

In his remarks, the Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Forster Ihejiofor, pointed out that the state government had adopted regenerative agriculture as a policy that could be used in the fight against the glowing antimicrobial threat.

He said in regenerative agriculture, both livestock and crops are not exposed to antimicrobial agents.

“It is a natural farming method that helps to boost the natural resistance of crops and livestock, that is one way to mitigate the danger of AMR.

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“When we adopt food production systems that emphasize cooperation with nature, cooperation with even microbes rather than fighting them. When you fight microbes, they will fight back. That is the way they have been created,” he said.

The Director, Veterinary Services, Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Basil Ejidike, identified the drivers of antimicrobial resistance, including the overprescription of antibiotics, improper completion of treatments and misuse of antibiotics in livestock farming.

Dr Ejidike, added that poor infection control and lack of hygiene contribute significantly to the spread of resistant pathogens.

Mobalaji Ajani, Communication Consultant to the Project, who spoke on effective strategies for antimicrobial awareness and social behavioural change, urged the participants to remain agents for change by championing the campaign.

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