Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major health threat to humans, animals, plants and the environment. One of the key drivers of AMR is the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in animal production, including in aquaculture. Therefore, monitoring the use of antimicrobials in farm animals is essential to mitigate AMR.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) has been collecting data, mainly coming from national sales and imports records of antimicrobials, from its members on antimicrobial agents intended for use in animals since 2015. To complement this information and improve decision-making, farm-level antimicrobial use (AMU) data are needed, as it allows for better understanding of how antimicrobials are used in the field.

Therefore, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO RAP), the WOAH Regional Representation for Asia and the Pacific (WOAH RRAP) and the WOAH Sub-Regional Representation for South-East Asia (WOAH SRR-SEA) developed a joint guideline on Monitoring antimicrobial use at the farm level.

The guideline provides detailed guidance on establishing a farm-level AMU monitoring system: 

• conducting a situational analysis;

• establishing an operational mechanism; 

• technical preparation.

The recommendations cover both terrestrial and aquatic food-producing animals and consider the wide range of AMU monitoring capacities in Asia and the Pacific and beyond. The target users of this guideline are the competent authorities, research institutions and agrifood industry actors who plan to develop or improve an AMU monitoring system at the farm level.