The global animal health industry is forecast to enjoy massive growth in the next five years according to a new report. The estimate is it could reach $27.39bn by 2028. A number of factors are driving this, including investments in new technology to improve wellbeing. One thing in particular people are expecting is more alternatives to antimicrobial use. This supports a report that global use of the products has fallen.

World Organisation of Animal Health

The WOAH collects data to explore use of antimicrobials in food producing animals all around the world. They have been doing it since 2015. In a recent report (7th Annual), they found that antimicrobial use has fallen by 13% in three years (2017-2019). This considers data from 80 countries.

If you look at the data regionally, you can see which areas have had the biggest drop in use. Asia, the Far East and Oceania had a massive 25% drop. Europe also had a reduction, with 15% less usage.

Unfortunately however, there were increases in use in two regions. There was a massive 45% increase in Africa. The Americas also saw a 5% increase.

By species

The report also looks at antimicrobial use among different species and the impact on animal health. The biggest share is bovine animals, particularly cattle. They account for 42% of usage. Swine and poultry were behind with 19% respectively. Finally, 8% was for aquatic species. Of these, nearly two thirds was farmed fish.

Growth

While antimicrobials are still in use for treating disease and other issues, there has been one massive improvement. According to the data, almost 75% of countries no longer utilise them to promote growth. Some countries now have measures in place to phase it out or prevent it entirely.

Resistance

Overall it is great to see more and more countries looking to promote animal wellbeing with alternatives to using antimicrobial products. The goal is to reduce the chance of animals building a resistance to them. This can have a massive impact on animal health and humans.

One thing many governments and associations are doing is promoting vaccination programmes and novel therapeutics. They can be better than relying on antimicrobials for treating various infectious diseases.

Do you need animal health products?

At JS Hubbuck Ltd we support clients who want to improve animal wellbeing. We have a wide range of products to help with this, whether it is for food producing animals, horses, or even dogs. More importantly, we can share advice and recommendations to ensure you use these products safely and efficiently.

So, if you want to learn more about animal health, please contact us.