Vietnam strive to curb antibiotic in animal breeding

Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) have agreed a national action plan on control and use of antibiotic as well as prevention of antibiotic in the husbandry of livestock and fish breeding in the country.

Vietnam strives to curb the use of antibiotic in the husbandry of livestock (Photo: SGGP)

According to a report by the World Health Organization, some 700,000 people died annually in the world because of antibiotic –resistant infections.

Antibiotic residue in animal products and fish is a culprit of antibiotic-resistant infections in humans, leaving bad effects, the report said.

Deputy Head of the Department of Animal Health Nguyen Thu Thuy said that using antibiotic is rampant both in treating people and in the husbandry. Worse, the trend of using the drug is widely spreading while residue of antibiotic in animal products causes the consequences that people hardly imagine.

Deputy head of the Animal Husbandry Department Nguyen Xuan Duong said that the Agriculture experts have allowed farmers to utilize antibiotic in the husbandry of livestock and aquatic breeding aiming to stimulate growth and disease prevention for along time. However, nowadays, the dangerous drug is widely used by pig breeders, even large-scale breeding farms, causing antibiotic resistance in human.

Antibiotic is sold widely without prescription and farmers blend the drug with animal feed uncontrollably. Vietnam had prohibited the use of banned substances, Mr. Duong said, yet officials must tighten the control of antibiotic in the husbandry of livestock and aquatic breeding.

FAO representative in Vietnam Jong Ha Bea said the antibiotic is effective in controlling contagious diseases; however, the drug does not work effectively because of virus strain in human, animal and environment. Treatment fails due to resistance. Accordingly, breeders, vets and drug assistant need to realize that antibiotic use is a share responsibility.

Exchanging with reporter, Deputy Agriculture Minister Vu Van Tam said that the sector will strengthen modern husbandry to export meat; therefore, it is urgent to control antibiotic residue in husbandry.

The Ministry has proposed to implement the national action plan on control and use of different antibiotic as well as antibiotic-resistance in husbandry and aquatic breeding.

To effectively carry out the plan, the ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, Industry and Trade, Environment and Natural Resources and municipal, provincial people’s committees, research institutions need to join hand in in a bid to curb the use of antibiotic and threats of drug-resistance.

Deputy Minister Vu Van Tam asserted since 2018, Vietnam will stop use of the antibiotics in animal feed and fish; moreover, from 2020 the country will ban the use of the drug; just allow in prevention and treatment of baby animals.

At present, the ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Health both manage the import and production of some antibiotics. Thus, both ministries must liaise to strictly grant the license.

Only animal feeds made of herbs or natural ingredients are allowed to enter into Vietnam, said Duong. The Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry will write a list of banned antibiotic.