The global use of antibiotics in animals will be 67% higher in 2030 than it was in 2010, with the increase in some countries being as much as 99%, according to projections from scientists in the US.
A report, published by the US-based Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) states that while global antimicrobial consumption will rise by 67% by 2030, the increase will be much higher in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
“This rise is likely to be driven by the growth in consumer demand for livestock products in middle-income countries and a shift to large-scale farms where antimicrobials are used routinely,” states the report, signed by eight different scientists.
Calling for initiatives to preserve antibiotic effectiveness, while simultaneously ensuring food security in low and lower-middle-income countries, they say that better understanding of the consequences of the uninhibited growth in veterinary antimicrobial consumption is needed to assess its potential effects on animal and human health.