The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has said that the livestock sector uses more antibiotics than the human health sector, warning that the misuse of these drugs could contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Pate stressed that the responsible use of antibiotics in animals could help reduce the pressure that drives antimicrobial resistance, which poses a threat to human health.
He made this known on Monday in Abuja during a joint One Health ministerial briefing ahead of the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR.
Highlighting the importance of a multi-sectoral approach to tackling the growing threat, the minister identified antibiotic use in livestock as a significant factor in the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
“The livestock sector uses more antibiotics than the human health sector. So if they are used better, then there’s less pressure for antimicrobial resistance to develop that can affect people,” he said.
Pate explained that antimicrobial resistance can spread across humans, animals and the environment, making collaboration among relevant sectors essential to addressing the challenge.
He also noted that zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance can be transmitted from animals to humans, emphasising that the use of antimicrobial drugs in both animal and human health can have far-reaching consequences for the wider population.
The minister called attention to the need for coordinated action across the health, livestock and environmental sectors to promote responsible antimicrobial use and curb the spread of resistance.
