CEO DATELINE - White House calls on associations to help fight superbug threat
CEO DATELINE - White House calls on associations to help fight superbug threat
- June 5, 2015 |
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Walt Williams
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In an effort to stop the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, the Obama Administration is pushing a wide range of stakeholders to be more careful stewards of antibiotics. The White House announced June 2 that it has secured formal commitments from more than 150 business leaders and stakeholders—including more than 50 national associations—to take steps aimed at better managing or reducing their use of antibiotics.
The list represents a wide range of companies and organizations with an interest in animal and human health, from medical societies to agricultural groups.
A number of association executives attended the Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship June 2, including Ron DeHaven, CEO of the American Veterinary Medical Association. In a statement, DeHaven said the AVMA's efforts include an educational outreach campaign, engaging in national and international scientific discussions and developing ways at evaluate the effectiveness of risk-mitigation strategies.
"Antimicrobials are an important part of the veterinarian's toolkit, and the AVMA agrees with the White House that they should be used responsibly and in the best interest of animal health and public health," the statement said.
The Society of Hospital Medicine will ask hospitalist physicians to formally commit to at least two behavior changes to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use.
National Chicken Council Senior Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Ashley Peterson, said in a statement that the industry is taking steps to find alternative ways to control disease and reduce antibiotic use.
"The vast majority of the antibiotics that we use are never used in human medicine. The majority are from a class called ionophores which are used in animals only and are critically important to chicken producers to maintain the gut health of our birds," Peterson said.
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