Scientific objectives and research project

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a major global health challenge that can be exacerbated in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) due their high number of bacterial infections, fewer antibiotics options, and limited access to healthcare. The intense use of antibiotics in livestock and humans is the main cause of the emergence and rapid spread of AMR. While Peru launched a ‘National Multisectoral Plan to Combat AMR’ in 2017 that includes strategies to reduce AMR in livestock, systematic interventions among small-scale farms are lacking. ‘Complex interventions’ optimizing animal husbandry, improving farm’s biosecurity, and providing guidance on antibiotic use have reduced antibiotic use and resistance in high-income countries, without jeopardizing productivity. However, the implementation and evaluation of these strategies in rural areas of LMIC have been limited. The JEAI STOPAMR will develop participatory interventions that can reduce antibiotic use among low-income Peruvian farmers, using a ‘herd-specific’ approach co-constructed with farmers and adapted to their local socioeconomic and cultural context. STOPAMR focuses on five specific objectives: 1) Identify the socio-economic factors and farm practices influencing the presence of multidrug resistant E. coli among livestock, dogs, humans, and water of small-scale pig farms in the Lima region and poultry farms in the Ica region of Peru; 2) Understand the conceptions of poultry and cattle farmers regarding the practices about antibiotics use and AMR; 3) Quantify and characterize knowledge on AMR and bacterial treatment among Peruvian veterinarians; 4) Co-construct a participatory ‘herd-specific’ strategy to reduce antibiotic misuse without compromising livestock productivity by engaging farmers and local veterinarians; and 5) Evaluate the effectiveness of the ‘herd-specific’ intervention strategy to reduce antibiotic misuse in poultry and pig farms. STOPAMR will consolidate the interdisciplinary research of this JEAI combining veterinary science, social sciences and microbiology to better understand and tackle the spread of AMR in the rural environments of Peru. This project will identify social, economic and cultural factors that influence the circulation of multidrug resistant E. coli among Peruvian poultry and pig small-scale farms, and the use of antibiotics by Peruvian farmers and veterinarians. This knowledge will be used to better plan much needed strategies to reduce AMR transmission in rural environments of LMICs, often limited by a poor understanding of farmers’ conceptions, behaviors and practices. STOPAMR will also pioneer the use of participatory research with farmers to co-construct and propose locally adapted strategies to reduce antibiotic misuse in Peru. Future research of this JEAI based on this project could include evaluating the economic consequences of the proposed interventions, scaling this intervention to a larger population in collaboration with animal health national authorities, and assessing the impact of interventions in reducing AMR prevalence.

IRD units involved

• Département société et santé (SAS)
• MIVEGEC

Member Institutions

IRD : Institut de recherche pour le développement

UPCH : Universidad peruana Cayetano Heredia

Universidad Nacional San Luis Gonzaga

Targeted Sustainable Development Goal(s)

ODD02 - FAIM "ZERO"

ODD03 - BONNE SANTE ET BIEN-ETRE

ODD12 - CONSOMMATION ET PRODUCTION RESPONSABLES