Welsh gov unveils £2.5m fund to control antimicrobial resistance

£2.5 million is being provided to continue the work of controlling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in livestock, the Welsh government has announced.

The new funding announced today (1 March) will support AMR projects for the next two years, the Welsh government explained.

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines.

This makes infections in people and animals harder to treat and increases the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognises AMR as one of the greatest threats to human and animal health in the world today.

In 2019, Arwain DGC, an AMR project, was allocated Welsh government funding to deliver a range of work to control AMR and promote animal health.

Many of the activities launched in Wales are now being piloted by the project for the first time.

Arwain DGC’s work involves capturing antibiotic usage data for beef, sheep and dairy sectors, across Wales.

The project seeks to understand patterns of antibiotic use to establish a baseline and to target reduction of the most high-risk uses.

Unveiling the new funding, Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths said: “I am pleased the work happening in Wales has placed us towards the forefront of efforts to control antimicrobial resistance.

"The £2.5m of funding I am announcing will be key to the continuation of these efforts and ensure Wales carries on making a full contribution to the control of AMR.”

However, she added: “It is clear the control of AMR cannot be done solely by government.

"The control of infectious diseases and of the antibiotics used to treat them are in the hands of animal keepers and their veterinarians.

"It is therefore vital everyone continues to work together towards the same goal."

Last year, the UK recorded the lowest ever sales of livestock veterinary antibiotics, reducing by more than half since 2014, according to a government report.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate's (VMD) figures showed that the UK has one of the lowest levels of antibiotic use in Europe.

Antibiotics sales for use in food-producing animals have fallen by 55 percent since 2014, the report explained.