Ghana recorded an estimated 2,100 deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in 2019, with health and animal experts warning that the inappropriate use of antibiotics in livestock and fish farming could further worsen the country’s public health challenges.
Animal health expert Dr Benjamin Kissi Sasu has cautioned that the misuse of antimicrobials in food production, poor farm hygiene and inadequate waste disposal could accelerate the spread of drug-resistant infections.
He warned that unsafe farming practices could expose consumers to antibiotic residues in meat, fish and other animal products, while improperly managed animal waste could introduce resistant microorganisms into the environment.
Speaking on the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance within Ghana’s food production chain, Dr Sasu said the issue required greater public attention because animal products formed part of the diets of many households.
“Every human being, or many of us, whether we like it or not, take animal products, either fish or meat or milk or honey,” he said.
He explained that farmers without adequate knowledge of antimicrobial use could unknowingly introduce antibiotic residues into food products consumed by the public.
“If farmers who, in doing their business, are not well-informed, may just do anything, providing food that we think is safe, but ending up having food that has antibiotic residue, whereby we are taking the drugs that will be given to the hospitals when we are sick,” he said.
Dr Sasu noted that medicines used to treat infections in humans and animals could contain similar active ingredients, although their formulations might differ.
He also raised concerns about poor animal waste disposal, warning that disease-causing organisms could spread through contaminated water and other environmental pathways.
“Today, we are finding that most farmers do not adhere to strict biosecurity. They do sometimes, sometimes, and sometimes they do not,” he observed.
He added that some farmers relied on advice from fellow farmers when dealing with animal diseases and deaths rather than seeking professional veterinary assistance.
Ghana’s antimicrobial resistance burden
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria and other disease-causing microorganisms develop the ability to survive medicines that would ordinarily kill them or prevent their growth.
The development of resistance makes infections more difficult to treat and increases the risk of severe illness and death.
Dr Sasu said global projections indicated that antimicrobial resistance could be associated with approximately 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if countries failed to implement effective interventions, with Africa expected to account for a significant proportion of the projected burden.
He said Ghana’s estimated 2,100 AMR-attributable deaths in 2019 highlighted the urgency of strengthening national efforts to address the threat.
“In Ghana, just looking at our 2019 data, this is the few work that we have done. We are able to say 2,100 lives have been lost due to antimicrobial resistance. Just in Ghana. That’s our 2019 data,” he said.
Although he indicated that Ghana had not yet reached an alarming stage, he stressed the need for stronger implementation of the country’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.
He also called for improved surveillance and coordinated interventions across human health, animal health and environmental sectors to prevent the spread of drug-resistant organisms.
Programme supports responsible antimicrobial use
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom government-funded Tackling Deadly Diseases in Africa Programme Two is supporting Ghana’s efforts to strengthen its response to antimicrobial resistance through capacity building, improved surveillance and safer food production practices.
The programme is also being implemented in Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and Zambia, working with government institutions, private sector organisations and civil society groups to strengthen preparedness against infectious disease threats.
Its Technical Lead in Ghana, Esther Odame Aseidu, said the initiative had trained farmers in the Eastern and Western Regions to promote responsible antimicrobial use in livestock and poultry production.
“We’ve been able to build capacity of farmers in the Western and Eastern Regions to enhance their knowledge and improve their practices when it comes to antimicrobial use on their farms for their livestock, for their poultry,” she said.
She explained that the training covered responsible antibiotic use, farm biosecurity, hygiene and the application of data to guide decisions on antimicrobial administration.
The programme has also supported surveillance activities at fish farms and slaughterhouses to identify practices that could contribute to the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Ms Odame Aseidu stressed that tackling the threat required collaboration beyond the human health sector, as activities within farms and the wider environment could also influence the spread of resistant organisms.
“The happenings in the farms, the happenings in water bodies, and also our own actions influence antimicrobial resistance. So it’s important that these sectors collaborate when it comes to antimicrobial resistance,” she said.
She added that the programme intended to extend its capacity-building interventions to the human health sector, including training clinicians and pharmacists on appropriate antimicrobial prescriptions in healthcare facilities.
She clarified that the Eastern and Western Regions were selected for the farmer training because of the availability of established farmer field schools, rather than evidence that antimicrobial misuse was more prevalent in those areas.
According to her, the programme would explore extending the training to additional regions as resources became available.
Beyond antimicrobial resistance, the initiative supports participating countries to strengthen systems for preventing, detecting and responding to infectious disease threats, including cholera and meningitis outbreaks.
Ms Odame Aseidu said the broader objective was to help countries establish effective systems for preventing outbreaks and identifying emerging threats early enough to minimise their impact.
Dr Sasu disclosed that a comprehensive report covering six years of antimicrobial resistance data across the human, animal and environmental health sectors was expected to be presented on November 18.
The experts maintain that effective implementation of Ghana’s national action plan, responsible antimicrobial use, improved farm biosecurity, proper waste management and stronger collaboration across the three health sectors are essential to containing antimicrobial resistance and preserving the effectiveness of medicines.
