Ottawa, ON – The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), with financial support from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), conducted an assessment on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Antimicrobial Use (AMU) in food-producing animals in Canada.
This assessment will support the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on AMR, a shared federal, provincial and territorial commitment to address AMR across 5 pillars and 10 priority actions.
Today, the final report is released. It is outlining key findings and strategic interventions to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship in food-producing animals.
The 14-month long process, headed by thirteen leading Canadian experts examined evidence from published literature, international case studies, and undertook extensive Canadian stakeholder engagement.
To address these challenges, the expert panel outlines five key interventions:
- establishing coordinated leadership for the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on AMR,
- tracking farm-level antimicrobial use,
- integrating stewardship into veterinary standards,
- tightening regulations on Category I antimicrobials, and
- advancing research on sustainable alternatives to reduce reliance on these drugs.
“What makes this assessment unique is the diverse range of experts involved and the examination of evidence from multiple sources, including academic published literature, international success stories and extensive consultation with Canadian stakeholders,” added Dr. Jan Sargeant, Chair of the CAHS Assessment Panel. “The findings provide a clear picture of where we stand and what the evidence tells us about effective approaches.”
The complete assessment report includes 15 key findings across seven key areas, including:
- the current state of knowledge on AMR transmission,
- antimicrobial stewardship practices,
- regulatory approaches,
- farm-level interventions,
- AMR/AMU surveillance,
- impacts of interventions to reduce AMU, and
- AMR awareness and education in consumers.
The full report is available at link.