Time to play a role in getting ‘Antibiotics off the menu’

Islamabad

TheNetwork for Consumer Protection will be marking World Consumer Rights Day today (Tuesday) by joining a global campaign to get ‘Antibiotics off the Menu’ at leading international food chains.

Consumer organisations from around the world, in partnership with Consumers International, are calling on companies to make a global commitment to stop serving meat from animals raised with the routine use of antibiotics important to human medicine.

TheNetwork for Consumer Protection has joined the campaign by writing letters to local representatives of international food chains such as McDonald’s, Subway and KFC and attracting the attention of policy makers and food authorities to the issue.

Nadeem Iqbal, the executive coordinator TheNetwork, in his letters to local representatives of these international food chains, demanded a time-bound action plan to phase out the routine use of antibiotics used in human medicine across all meat and poultry supply chains, and also to adopt third-party auditing of their antibiotics use policies and bench their results to show progress in meeting their goals.

In addition, civil society activists and general public, particularly parents, have been contacted in continuation with the international thunder clap campaign by posting their pictures in front of any of these international food outlets holding posters with the slogan #AntibioticsOffTheMenu on their own social media pages. The photo must be taken in front of the particular Subway, McDonald or KFC food chain, clearly displaying its logo.

The overuse of antibiotics in agriculture is a major driver of antibiotic resistance, which is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. The World Health Organisation has warned that, without urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which important medicines stop working and common infections and minor injuries can once again kill.

Tackling antibiotic resistance is a high priority for WHO. A global action plan on antimicrobial resistance, including antibiotic resistance, was endorsed at the World Health Assembly in May 2015. The global action plan aims to ensure that the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases with safe and effective medicines continues.

The global action plan has 5 strategic objectives; improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance, strengthen surveillance and research, reduce the incidence of infection and optimize the use of antimicrobial medicines and ensure sustainable investment in countering antimicrobial resistance.

WHO is supporting Member States to develop their own national action plans to address antimicrobial resistance, in line with the objectives of the global plan

Deaths from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are predicted to reach the millions by the middle of the century. Antibiotic resistance is the most pressing type of AMR. Antibiotic resistant bacteria travel across national boundaries in myriad ways. Use of antibiotics increases antibiotic resistance. Reducing use of antibiotics in one or two countries does little to address this global crisis.

It has been estimated that by 2050, 470, 30,000 deaths will be attributable to antimicrobial resistance every year in Asia alone. Around half of the antibiotics produced globally are used in agriculture, with much of this being used to promote faster growth and to prevent, rather than treat, disease. Despite worldwide concern about the overuse of antibiotics, their use in agriculture is due to increase by two-thirds by 2030: from 63,200 tons in 2010, to 105,600 tons in 2030.

Consumer campaigners argue that if multinational fast food chains like McDonald’s, KFC and Subway make time-bound global commitments to stop serving meat from animals routinely given antibiotics important in human medicine, it will make a real difference in the fight to slow antibiotic resistance.

Amanda Long, Director General of Consumers International said, “Global restaurant chains have an opportunity to use their huge buying power to reduce the use of antibiotics in food production and to set the agenda for other businesses. They can also help to raise public awareness about an issue that requires very urgent attention.”

Massive overconsumption of existing antibiotics, along with a shortage of new ones, has hastened the emergence of highly resistant bacteria, or ‘superbugs.’ Antibiotic resistant infections are already spreading in all parts of the world. If urgent action is not taken, we could face a future where simple cuts and scrapes can once again kill.

World Consumer Rights Day 2016 is expected to attract participation from across the consumer movement. Last year, the event saw 110 CI Members in 84 countries taking part and a social media campaign that reached more than 2.8 million social media users.

Globally, there are 35,000 McDonald’s restaurants in 119 countries, 44,390 KFC restaurants in 111 countries and 18,000 in 115 countries using meat laden with antibiotics. Presently, KFC is branched out in 18 major cities of Pakistan with more than 60 outlets nationwide; we also have 34 McDonald restaurants in 8 major cities and 64 Subway outlets nationwide.