Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most serious threats facing both human and animal health globally, and Namibia's agricultural sector has a role to play in addressing it. That was the message at the heart of a presentation delivered by Professor Mark Holmes of the University of Cambridge at a Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) information day held in Windhoek recently.
The core principle Holmes outlined is straightforward: antibiotics only work when the disease is bacterial in origin, when the correct antibiotic is selected, and when the bacteria
have not yet acquired resistance. When antibiotics are used incorrectly or unnecessarily, resistant bacteria survive, multiply and spread, rendering treatments less effective over time. Bacteria can acquire resistance by absorbing DNA from other bacteria, and resistance is more likely to develop when antibiotics are present in the environment.
A Growing Global Crisis
The stakes are significant. The 2016 O'Neill Report, commissioned by the UK government, projected that AMR could kill 10 million people annually by 2050, surpassing cancer as a global killer. Currently, at least 700,000 deaths per year are attributed to resistant infections, a conservative estimate. Meanwhile, the development of new antibiotics is slowing, making it critical that existing ones are preserved.
The relationship between agricultural antibiotic use and human AMR is more nuanced than often assumed. Research cited in the presentation found that reducing antibiotic use in livestock, as a standalone measure, may have limited direct impact on resistance levels in humans.
What Farmers Can Do
However, certain farming practices remain problematic. Treating whole groups of animals rather than individuals, limited dosage control, and high-density production all create conditions where resistance can develop and spread. The use of antibiotics as growth promoters, still practiced in parts of the world despite bans in the EU and United States, was described as clearly problematic from an AMR standpoint.
The presentation's central message for farmers and veterinarians was practical: use antibiotics as little as possible, but as much as necessary. Healthy animals require fewer antibiotics, so investing in good husbandry, vaccination programmes, biosecurity and early diagnosis reduces dependence on treatment in the first place.
Namibia has a National Action Plan on AMR. Making it work requires participation at every level, from officials and veterinarians to animal health technicians and farmers on the ground.
