Fortifying veterinary training in fighting antimicrobial resistance

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has announced its commitment to assess the competence of veterinary graduates in the field of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial stewardship in selected countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia. This initiative is part of the project “Reducing the advance of antimicrobial resistance in food and agriculture,” which aims to combat the proliferation of drug-resistant microorganisms.

Since its inception in 2017, and in collaboration with partner countries, the FAO project supports the development and implementation of surveillance systems and national action plans to combat antimicrobial resistance in five selected countries.  As part of these efforts, FAO will evaluate the curricula on AMR education of veterinary institutions in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

The first assessment took place in late June 2023 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the K.I. Skryabin Kyrgyz National Agrarian University. It involved professors who teach theoretical and clinical subjects related to various aspects of AMR as well as recent veterinary graduates (including some official veterinarians), and final-year veterinary students, who actively evaluated their curriculum using an assessment methodology designed at The Ohio State University.

Antibiotics are antimicrobial drugs used to treat bacterial animal diseases. Over the past 50 years, the increasing need for animal products has resulted in higher stocking density and a subsequent proliferation of pathogens in animal farming. Consequently, the use of antimicrobials in agriculture has also surged.

“Antimicrobials play a critical role in the treatment of animal and plant diseases. Their use is important for food security,” noted Kuvatbek Bapaev, Senior Policy Advisor of FAO in his opening remarks. “However, the misuse and overuse of these drugs can lead to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, which puts us all at great risk.”

Throughout the food chain, people can become infected with resistant pathogens originating from animals treated with antimicrobials, with potentially severe threats to human health, food security and farmers’ livelihoods.

The project's multifaceted approach involves comprehensive training programmes and awareness campaigns aimed at fostering prudent antimicrobial use in conjunction with good hygiene, biosecurity, and animal care and handling practices and vaccination that together reduce the need to use antimicrobial medicines. Additionally, it focuses on strengthening laboratory diagnosis by procuring essential reagents and equipment, providing hands-on trainings, and giving laboratories access to external quality assurance schemes. The project also works towards establishing the baseline data on AMR and the utilization of antimicrobials within the livestock sector. 

Veterinarians are on the front line in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, underscoring the importance of including comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship in the educational programmes of the institutions that train these specialists. The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, in collaboration with the American Public Land Grant Universities, has developed a gold standard for AMR learning outcomes, which should be known and used by all veterinarians in their daily practice. To evaluate veterinary curricula in terms of these learning outcomes, The Ohio State University developed an evaluation tool to assess antimicrobial resistance learning outcomes. This tool allows the assessment of the curriculum, identifying weaknesses, and making recommendations for improvement.

During the assessment in Kyrgyzstan, The Ohio State University specialists Armando Hoet and Samantha Swisher implemented this methodology. Students, graduates, and professors actively participated in the assessment, had to evaluate the learning outcomes across six topics: healthy animals, global exposure, antimicrobial management, antimicrobial drugs and antimicrobial resistance, roles and relationships, and critical analysis.

“Antimicrobials are important drugs that should remain available and effective for the treatment of animal diseases and preservation of human health,” noted Armando Hoet, Director of the Veterinary Public Health Program at The Ohio State University. “That is why it is very important that professionals have a solid understanding and awareness of AMR and antimicrobial stewardship, which should be an integral part of training, education, and development programmes for veterinarians.”

Experts of FAO and The Ohio State University will analyse the data obtained and develop recommendations for the university on how to improve the existing training programme. Furthermore, FAO will continue doing similar assessments in veterinary institutions of the region.

Ultimately, students will be provided with comprehensive knowledge on how antimicrobial resistance develops and spreads, and how it is transmitted between humans and animals, as well as through food, water, and the environment. Equipped with this knowledge upon graduation, veterinarians will be able to apply it when treating patients, promote prudent use of antimicrobials among farmers, develop effective local, national, and regional responses, and monitor the effectiveness of interventions.

26 July 2023, Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek