• 70 percent of the antibiotics imported for use in Kenya is given to chicken, cows and pigs, according to a report.
• Experts say 40 to 80 percent of antibiotics used on farm animals is unnecessary.
Experts have raised concern over feed supplements mixed with antibiotics being sold in the market illegally.
Dr Allan Azegele, deputy director veterinary services at the Directorate of Veterinary Services, said the vitamin or mineral supplements are especially found in egg boosters.
“We do not encourage feed supplements incorporated with antibiotics being sold to farmers in the market. We have the Veterinary Medicines Directorate which is now working on capacity building its human resources to work on enforcement and ensure these supplements are pulled out of the market,” he said.
Azegele said the institution will focus on control of import, distribution, manufacture and sale of veterinary medicinal products, as well as stabilising and ensuring quality of the medicines in the market for prudent use.
“We cannot rule out the use of antibiotics but they should only be used after clinical examination and under guidance from a licensed professional,” said Azegele.
Dr Victor Yamo from the World Animal Protection in Kenya explained how farmers misuse antibiotics, oblivious of the danger they pose to human and animal health.
He said dairy farmers use antibiotics to treat mastitis, while poultry farmers use them for growth enhancement.
“And when they do so, they do not observe withdrawal periods and antibiotic residues end up in the production system or in your food chain," Yamo said.
"If the housing area is not cleaned properly from the animal's droppings, micro-organisms from that bedding will end up in the udder of the animal leading to mastitis.”
He said dairy farmers have also been reported to use hydrogen peroxide or antibiotics to prolong milk's shelf life.
“To ensure safety of milk in the market, some major milk processors in the country have stopped buying milk on the basis of volume, but are instead buying milk from farmers based on quality," Yamo said.
"Part of the requirement is that the milk should have no additives, including hydroperoxide, antibiotics or water [added to bulk the milk].”
We are all responsible and we should be concerned because if a producer is not observing certain things, the produce will end up in our plates.”Dr Victor Yamo from the World Animal Protection in Kenya
He said poultry farmers put one-day-old chicks on antibiotics to prevent them from getting sick.
"What the farmer is failing to see is that when you do that, you will end up with antibiotic residues in the meat of the chicken. But we still have some farmers who are producing chicken without using antibiotics," Yamo said.
"It is all about good biosecurity, good housing, good hygiene and sanitation, and proper vaccination and at the right time. All these are linked to the aspects of animal welfare and are very critical.”
The Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership report shows that 70 percent of the antibiotics imported for use in Kenya are given to chicken, cows and pigs, and that 40 to 80 percent of antibiotics used on farm animals is unnecessary.
According to a report released in 2018 by the International Livestock Research Institute, there are more than 200 antibiotic-resistant genes in Kenya.
The analysis showed a high rate of resistance to respiratory, enteric and hospital-acquired infections, especially to the widely available antibiotics such as penicillin and cotrimoxazole.
“Antimicrobial resistance is now becoming a big issue because we are generating superbugs that we don’t have anything with which to control them,” Yamo said.
A superbug is a germ that cannot be treated with any known drug.
“We need to engage the poultry, dairy and pig industry players, including growers, so that we start connecting with what the animals are [undergoing] to what ends up in the market," Yamo said.
"We are all responsible and we should be concerned because if a producer is not observing certain things, the produce will end up in our plates.”
Agriculture CAS Andrew Tuimur said the ministry, through the Directorate of Veterinary Services, launched the National Policy on Prevention and Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance.
He said the policy seeks to create awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance.
This comes after Kenya ratified the 68th World Health Assembly resolution that recommended the adoption of the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance developed by the World Health Organization, World Organization for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
The resolution recommended that all member countries develop national action plans aligned with the objectives of the Global Action Plan by 2017.
The National Action Plan in Kenya was launched on November 13, 2017, during the World Antibiotic Awareness Week.
“Through these initiatives we have been able to engage and sensitise other policymakers on the need to prioritise antibiotic resistance. The public is also being sensitised on what antibiotic resistance means to their health and that of their animals,” Tuimur said.
Eveylne Wesangula, a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya, said there is no data on the burden of antimicrobial resistance on human health at the national level.
“We have been using studies and reports carried out by other organisations. We hope to have a complete report about AMR in Kenya by next year during the Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week,” she said.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya