Skip to main content
Antimicrobial Resistance, Surveillance and Stewardship
The Issue
Health care professionals, both in human and animal health, rely on antimicrobials to treat, prevent and control infections. Antimicrobials are a cornerstone of modern health care. However, the effectiveness of antimicrobials is declining due to the development of resistance.
Why it Matters
Antimicrobial resistance is a global concern. Everyone must do their part to stop the further development of bacterial resistance to antimicrobials. The veterinary profession has the responsibility to protect animal health and welfare and public safety by using antimicrobials prudently.
CVMA Action
Since 1998, the CVMA has been actively advocating for change and encouraging the prudent use of antimicrobials in animals. Early efforts include the development of position statements to raise awareness of the issues related to antimicrobial resistance, surveillance and stewardship; and lobbying the federal government for the regulatory and policy changes required to increase veterinary oversight of antimicrobials. More recently, the CVMA’s efforts have been focused on the development of tools to assist veterinarians with the prudent use of antimicrobials.
2022:
- CVMA continues to lead Stewardship of Antimicrobials by Veterinarians Initiative (SAVI).
- A collaborative paper "Integrated surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial use (AMU): Evaluation of the status in Canada (2014–2019)" has been simultaneously published in January 2022 issues of The Canadian Veterinary Journal and the Canadian Journal of Public Health.
2021:
- Partnered with the University of Calgary and Firstline (https://firstline.org) to produce and release a handheld app CVMA Veterinary Guidelines for AMU on Firstline.
2018:
- Development of the CVMA Guidelines for Veterinary Antimicrobial Use, an online platform to support Canada’s veterinarians in making sound decisions on the appropriate and responsible use of antimicrobials.
March 2022