Botswana Reinforces Collaborative Efforts to Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance

By Lorato Kgakatsi

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.

The Botswana government has made efforts to decisively tackle Antimicrobial resistance in livestock as it poses a great risk to food security. Antimicrobial resistance has been attributed to incorrect farm management practices such as inappropriate administration of antibiotics e.g. dosing or using the wrong route of drug administration.

The Botswana Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Ministry of Health is actively engaged in campaigns to sensitize the community and farmers about the dangers of antimicrobial resistance. This approach is critical as animal health greatly contributes to human health. Veterinarian in the Department of Veterinary Services, Dr. Obakeng Kemolatlhe says that continuous efforts should be made to engage farmers and equip them with relevant skills and knowledge to curb the problem of anti-microbial resistance.

Botswana as a country that is a large exporter of Beef to European markets has put in place control measures to safeguard against this. Currently, farm treatment records and Botswana Animal Traceability System (BAITS) are tools that are used to help with monitoring the use of veterinary medicines in cattle before selling to the European market. Moreover, random sampling for residue surveillance (which includes anti-microbial) in live cattle at farms and at slaughter facilities helps to monitor the use of antimicrobials. This has greatly helped to put risk mitigation measures to guard against the irresponsible use of antimicrobials which may lead to antimicrobial resistance in livestock and humans.

Dr. Kemolatlhe has urged young farmers to be cautious of receiving unverified information regarding the use of antimicrobials from the internet and various social media platforms as this could perpetuate the inappropriate use of antimicrobials. He further stated that inappropriate use of antimicrobials may lead to carcass condemnation at slaughter facilities which will affect food security. Dr. Kemolatlhe has urged Batswana to make it a point of reporting diseases on time so that they can get appropriate remedies to the problem. He shared that there are some farmers who use harmful substances to treat wounds in animals, which only worsens the situation. This then causes unnecessary pain and suffering to the animal which could have been avoided had an appropriate veterinary medicine been administered.

Dr. Kemolatlhe acknowledges that there is a significant improvement in the administration and care of veterinary medicines among farmers who have made a decision to work hand in hand with veterinary professionals. He further mentioned that some of these farmers have chosen to be agents of change by sharing their knowledge with other farmers and influencing them to get into the habit of seeing veterinary professionals as partners in farming.

The Botswana government conducts seminars, workshops, and training at various districts through extension officers and various subject matter specialists in the veterinary space. Dr. Kemolatlhe says that with comprehensive efforts in managing livestock and livestock and disease outbreaks, SADC will be able to make strides in achieving Malabo’s commitment to ending hunger in Africa by 2025.

The author is the Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and CCARDESA ICKM Focal point person for Botswana.