Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites can naturally develop resistance to antimicrobials, but the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials quickly accelerates the process. Infections from resistant microorganisms become increasingly more challenging to treat as antimicrobials become less effective - AMR is therefore a significant threat to human health.
Excessive use of antimicrobials in food production contributes to this problem and it is associated with a growing number of resistant bacteria that can spread to humans through the environment and through direct contact with animals throughout the food supply chain.
The healthcare sector can play a role in tackling this problem by leveraging its significant purchasing power and adopting sustainable procurement practices to drive sustainability in the food supply chain.
