OIE initiates hands-on training on the collection and submission to the OIE of data on antimicrobial use in animals.

The three-day event was attended by some 90 participants drawn from 29 member countries of Eastern and Southern Africa, along with a selection of English-speaking African countries from other regions of Africa.

Participating countries included; Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Congo (Dem.Rep.), Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, eSwatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the host country, Kenya.

The participants recorded their expectations for the workshop and had an opportunity to take part in an interactive presentation that allowed them to use their smart phones using real-time voting software in registering their understanding and implementation of the OIE standards relating to AMR and AMU.

Presentations were made by colleagues from OIE, ILRI and Mott MacDonald (Fleming Fund management agents). Countries shared their experiences on Legislation for Veterinary Products and AMU, their interactions with pharmaceuticals and wholesalers on AMU, how they collect and report AMU data and their practices with veterinarians and farmers on AMU.

Lively group work sessions on obtaining kilograms of active ingredients, animal biomass and on the future of OIE data collection were well received and appreciated by the participants. These sessions simplified the understanding of how the AMU data is compiled.

The participants were urged to familiarise with OIE standards while strive to adopt them in their countries for implementation. Having mapped the medicine supply chain, it was easy for the participants to identify their sources of data collection.

The presence of the OIE focal point for veterinary products, together with the AMR focal point and a representative of the national drug regulatory authority presented an opportunity for enhancing collaboration back in the countries for AMU data collection and the inclusion of the AMU as an important component of AMR national action plans.