Agrilife24.com:Fisheries and Livestock State Minister Sultan Salauddin Tuku on Sunday stressed the need for a coordinated approach to curb the irrational use of antibiotics in humans and animals to ensure national food security.
"Ensuring food security is a top priority for the current government. To achieve this, a collective initiative is critical to stop the tendency of using antibiotics indiscriminately," he said.
The state minister made the remarks as the chief guest while addressing an awareness workshop titled ‘Implementation of Veterinary Antimicrobial Stewardship Guidelines (VAG)’ at Hotel Sarina in the capital today.
The Directorate of Livestock Services (DLS) organized the event in collaboration with the Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Partner Trust Fund (AMR MPTF) project. Highlighting the long-term dangers, the State Minister noted that the unnecessary use of antibiotics reduces human immunity, posing a severe threat to public health. Similarly, its misuse in the livestock sector leaves a devastating long-term impact on animal health and the food chain.
"Many marginal farmers use antibiotics hoping for a quick cure, entirely unaware of the long-term consequences. This lack of awareness is a major challenge," the state minister observed. The minister emphasized the critical role of veterinary professionals in tackling this crisis, stating that the use of antibiotics without a registered veterinarian's prescription must be stringently discouraged.
He also directed district and upazila-level livestock officers to strictly monitor the market and intensify awareness campaigns at the grassroots level.
"If we can work together through an integrated chain-combining veterinarians, field officials, and farmers-we can replicate the success achieved in Barishal across the entire country," State Minister added, urging all stakeholders to work hand-in-hand with the government to ensure safe animal-based food production.
The workshop was chaired by Md. Shahjaman Khan, Director General of the Directorate of Livestock Services.
Among others, Md. Delwar Hossain, Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, and Dr Md Boyzar Rahman, Director (Administration) of DLS and Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) of Bangladesh, spoke as special guests.
Dr Md Habibur Rahman, National AMR Consultant for the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), presented the keynote paper on antimicrobial stewardship. Other experts also deliberated on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the 'One Health' approach, and responsible antimicrobial usage.
Senior officials and representatives from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, DLS, World Health Organization (WHO), WOAH, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and various public and private organizations were present at the event.
