Veterinary antimicrobial resistance containment in Bangladesh: Evaluating the national action plan and scoping the evidence on implementation.

OBJECTIVES

In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its global action plan (GAP) on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a blueprint for the design of national action plans for AMR containment. Bangladesh, with 80% rural household ownership of at least one livestock, introduced its national action plan in May 2017. The objective of this study was two-fold: (i) to perform a policy content evaluation of the Bangladesh National Action Plan (BNAP) against the GAP with a focus on veterinary AMR containment strategies; and (ii) to assess the evidence on the implementation of veterinary AMR containment strategies of the BNAP.

METHODS

The BNAP was evaluated against the GAP to identify commonalities and policy gaps. A scoping review of peer-reviewed and grey literature was performed to identity evidence of policy implementation and practice gaps.

RESULTS

The BNAP is strongly aligned with the GAP. However, the study identified policy gaps, including an explicit financing modality, specifications for antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in the veterinary sector, and rigorous operational and monitoring & evaluation frameworks. More evidence on implementation is needed in terms of incorporation of AMR in the curriculum of veterinarians, AMS plans throughout the veterinary sector, and infection prevention and control protocols and implementation.

CONCLUSION

Closing the identified gaps is essential for successful veterinary AMR containment in Bangladesh but will require sustained and significant investment in institutional and human resource development in the coming years.