AHI Viewpoint: Reducing Antibiotic Resistance Calls for a One Health Approach

Antibiotics are a cornerstone of modern medicine. However, unnecessary use can lead to resistant bacterial infections where antibiotics may no longer work. Solving this challenge cuts across human, environmental, and animal health, and it requires action in all domains.

Nearly 200 nations around the world are taking collective action to address the global health challenge of animal antibiotic resistance, and the effort is showing results. Antibiotic use in veterinary care declined 20% between 2016 and 2019, according to the most recent data from the World Organization for Animal Health. This progress is thanks to the growing adoption of preventative veterinary tools, including vaccines, pro- and pre-biotics, and enhanced biosecurity measures.

At the same time, studies have found that the majority of antibiotic-resistant bacteria are transferred through person-to-person contact, particularly in healthcare settings. A Lancet study analyzed more than a decade of data in the Netherlands to identify the source of resistant E. coli genes in people, finding that 78.6 percent is from human-to-human transmission, environment, or other sources while 21.4 percent is from meat, seafood, or contact with farm animals.

At the end of this month, the United Nations is hosting a High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance, which offers a key moment to galvanize collective efforts toward addressing the threat of drug-resistant disease. And though the animal health sector has already made enormous contributions toward slowing the spread of antimicrobial resistance by reducing the need for antibiotics, action in animal health alone is not enough to neutralize the threat to human health.

Ultimately, a One Health approach incorporating human and veterinary medicine must focus simultaneously on disease prevention and optimized antibiotic use in the areas where it will have outsized impacts. Tackling antibiotic resistance in the animal health sector alone is only one part of the puzzle. More and better data and surveillance of drug resistance hotspots can continue to shape more effective policies for human and animal health care.