@FAOGhana/David Youngs

Promoting the spirit of One Health 

The intensive system of poultry production in Ghana is expanding to respond to the growing demand for animal protein by the rapidly increasing population. This also serves as the economic backbone for many medium and small-scale farmers in the animal sector and seems to be driving the local and external economies of some areas in the country. Enhancing the work of poultry farmers, therefore, is key to the socioeconomic well-being of the people in these poultry production zones. 

However, such intensive farming systems lead to the high exposure of food animals to antimicrobials which drives the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR works against the sustainability of the poultry industry, negatively affecting the production, productivity, and profitability of the business. Promoting prudent antimicrobial use (AMU) to reduce AMR is an option.

Antimicrobial use is a behavioural issue. The FAO and the Ghana Government through Veterinary Services Directorate are working with the poultry farmers to change farmer behaviour in the use of Antimicrobials through Farmer Field Schools (FFS) with funding from the Fleming Fund UK.

Since 2021 five FFS have been established and about a hundred and thirty farmers and 7 Facilitators have received training in the prudent use of antimicrobials in poultry production through FFS in Dormaa district, the hub of Poultry production in Ghana and Kade district, a new entrant in the poultry sector. 

One of such FFS was established here and the participants (students) followed the principles and methods of the FFS at demonstration farms through what is called ‘learning by doing for a period of 9 months. 

Benjamin Kisis Sasu head of the Food safety laboratory of the Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture who spoke on behalf of the Chief Veterinary Officer commended the FAO for organizing the Farmer Field School programme which gets farmers trained to better their business and provide safe food.

Mr Seth Antwi Boasiako the Municipal Chief Executive of the Kwaebibirem municipal Assembly indicated that plans are far advanced in adopting the FFS project into the mainstream agricultural activities for the municipality and confirmed that it has been included in the 2023 composite budget preparation.

“These FFS participants are therefore now experts on their own in the use of antimicrobials in poultry production. They are no more mixing antibiotic capsules with poultry feed; no more giving antibiotics to day-old chicks; no more giving antibiotics to birds for prophylaxis, as growth promoters or as egg boosters. The chicken and table eggs they are producing are therefore safe and healthy for us all, devoid of drug residues”. Assistant FAO Representative to Ghana Benjamin Adjei. 

This according to Mr Adjei at a graduation ceremony of the second cohort of the farmer field school participants in July, will minimize the occurrence of AMR, make the poultry business more sustainable, promote food safety, food 

security and public health, thereby enhancing livelihood and reducing poverty, while achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In Ghana, the Government has developed and launched an AMR Policy and National Action Plan documents bringing together all the four state ministers of the core AMR sector: Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Food and Agriculture MoFA), Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD), and Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) to harmonize activities in the Human Health, Animal Health and the Environment embracing the one health spirit and promoting common ownership and commitment in the fight against AMR.

The FAO Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance

This Action Plan of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports the implementation of the Global Action Plan (GAP) on AMR (WHO, 2015). FAO’s Action Plan serves as a roadmap for focusing global efforts to address AMR in the food and agriculture sectors. Protecting food and health systems is a common need of our global society. FAO shares a responsibility to guard against economic losses as resistant microbes contaminate environments, cross borders and spread readily between people and animals. The time for action is now