Burden assessment of antimicrobial use and resistance in livestock data-scarce contexts

Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in livestock production is identified as a driver for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). To improve decision-making concerning livestock health a better understanding of the impact of AMR in livestock and aquaculture, within and beyond farm level, and expenditure on antimicrobial use (AMU), is necessary. It provides grounds for systematic disease prioritisation, establishes a baseline for understanding the value of different strategies to mitigate animal health problems and for the monitoring and evaluation of the impact of those strategies. Limited data availability and quality surrounding AMU and AMR create barriers which prevent this being a straightforward exercise. These data constraints are also more prevalent in contexts that lack the necessary resources to develop and maintain systematic and centralised data collection and collation systems. Even in regions with robust AMU and AMR monitoring systems in place data limitations remain, so that the expenditure on antimicrobials and impacts of AMR remain unclear. Additionally, the current research funding strategies have been less focused on primary data collection adding further barriers towards filling the data void and reducing the global AMU/AMR knowledge gap. To work around the data scarcity and leverage on previous and ongoing research efforts, a comprehensive knowledge of the people, projects and research consortia dedicated to the topic of AMU/AMR is vital.