Photo: Fauzan Ijazah/World Bank
Prevention could save the livestock sector up to US$1 trillion in antimicrobial resistance -related costs over the next 25 years.
Around the world, the use of antimicrobials has enabled the development of modern medicine, reduced the incidence of infectious diseases and made it far easier to intensify farming and livestock - increasing access to nutritious food as a result.
And yet, despite repeated warnings and decades-old international guidance from both the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the World Health Organization, the world continues to misuse antimicrobials, fuelling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and undermining the very systems they were meant to protect.
AMR is a natural, evolutionary response that enables microorganisms to adapt and survive in hostile conditions much faster than it takes to design new antimicrobials. In short, AMR always wins the race.
Every year, AMR kills more than 1 million people– on a par with road accidents. Today, one out of six confirmed bacterial infections is resistant to antibiotics. And if we fail to act, AMR could cost the global economy $40 billion every year and threaten food supplies for up to 2 billion people by 2050.
Of course, the equation works the other way too. Cutting antimicrobial use by 30% within five years could boost global GDP in 2050 by US$ 14 billion – and up to US$26 billion with more ambitious reductions in antimicrobial use.
WOAH and the World Bank have been working closely together to prevent diseases and AMR in livestock, and overall improve animal health, based on the following principles:
- Antimicrobials must never be used for anything other than their intended veterinary medical purpose. Today, around 20 percent of WOAH countries are still using them to grow the size of animals.
- Neither should they replace proper biosecurity measures – including hygiene protocols and controlled movements.
- Animal vaccination is a powerful tool to reduce the need for antimicrobials, and must be central to countries’ National Action Plans on AMR.
In September 2024, countries around the world pledged to support a multisectoral “One Health” strategy to tackle antimicrobial resistance—committing to cutting AMR-related human deaths by 10 % by 2030.
By helping countries strengthen animal health services and implement AMR interventions, the World Bank and WOAH can drive systemic change, create a more predictable operating environment, de-risk insurance, and ensure access to high-quality veterinary services. This agenda is more important than ever—and it will require our partners to stay focused on it.
It is time for a paradigm shift in the way humans interact with animals, for their benefit and ours. We must realise that investing in animal health will help contain AMR, and remember that an ounce of prevention will always be worth a pound of cure.
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