S.P. Veterinaria in support of the responsible and prudent use of antibiotics 8/9/2021

S.P. Veterinaria supports The European Platform for the Responsible Use of Medicines in Animals (EPRUMA), the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) and the European Group for Generic Veterinary Products (EGGVP), taking stance in favour of drafting a human medicine antibiotics list based on the expert and scientific advice of WHO, OIE, ECDC and EFSA.

This September a plenary vote is taking place. The motion aims at banning a list of antibiotics for their use in animal health imminently (it refers to the Critically important Antimicrobials for Human Medicine list from WHO). Last June ENVI (Environment, Public Health and Food safety Committee) rejected the criteria developed by the EMA for the determination of antibiotics reserved for human use only.

We believe that this decision should be evaluated scientifically and from a One Health approach. According to article 13 of the TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union), animals are sentient beings and must be treated when they become ill. By approving this motion there will be a negative impact on their health, whether they are companion or production animals.

In addition, this action will harm the achievements obtained in the fight against antimicrobial resistance: due to the efforts made this last decade, antibiotic use has been reduced by 34%, globally.

However the lack of specific antibiotics for well-diagnosed and targeted veterinary treatments will have negative effects on animal health, and, consequently, also on public health. That is why S.P. Veterinaria defends the One Health approach.

Open letter addressed to the European parliament members: https://bit.ly/3A4ZXch