WE ARE SAFEGUARDING PRODUCTION OF HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS MILK IN THE POOREST REGIONS OF AFRICA

According to the World Health Organization, approximately one third of all deaths occurring each year are due to infections. If antibiotics (AB) become ineffective, infections in extreme cases go untreated and the lives of many millions of people will be in danger. Large parts of Africa are most likely already experiencing a sort of "pandemic" situation, according to which the problem of AB-resistance is a very real threat to the population.

In Africa, the resistance problem for humans can largely be attributed to the widespread use of AB for veterinary purposes:

• AB are sold inexpensively via black markets.
• AB can be administered directly by animal owners.
• Often AB are quickly sought and used at low dosage or treatment is stopped too soon.

This manner of treatment results in AB reaching high concentrations in milk, and consequently favours AB resistance.

Our tasks:

• to develop and establish AB-detection methods
• to sample milk collection centers and retail stores
• to establish a national center of excellence for the detection of AB resistance.