August 07, 2020

HSP Conducts Antimicrobial Use Survey Of Pakistan’s Poultry, Dairy Industries

In Pakistan, HSP is working as part of the United Kingdom (UK) Fleming Fund’s effort to understand why antimicrobial use is so prevalent in the Pakistani poultry and dairy industries. Studies have shown that increased antimicrobial use (AMU) like antibiotics, leads to increased rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), an evolution in viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens that makes them resistant to drugs they have been exposed to repeatedly.

Our team along with the Animal Husbandry Commissioners office will be conducting a point prevalence survey, which is a snapshot in time of the antimicrobials being used on 6 dairy and 6 poultry farms in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) provinces, in order to better understand what antimicrobials are being used and in what quantity.

Last week, HSP local expert, Dr. Mashkoor led several small trainings for farmers and veterinarians in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces on how to collect this important data over the next six weeks. The trainings were successful and now data collection is beginning.