By Muhammad Luqman

Punjab is stepping up efforts to promote responsible antibiotic use and stronger biosecurity practices at poultry farms to contain antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and protect poultry health, according to the Poultry Research Institute (PRI).

Dr Farhan Afzal, Director of PRI, told Wealth Pakistan that greater awareness among poultry farmers about the judicious use of antibiotics, farm hygiene and effective biosecurity is essential for maintaining healthy poultry production.

“The Punjab Livestock Department has always remained at the forefront of awareness campaigns and other initiatives aimed at ensuring healthy poultry production in the province,” he said.

Punjab accounts for around 70% of Pakistan’s more than 15,000 poultry farms, making practices adopted in the province particularly important for the country’s poultry meat and egg supply.

Dr Farhan said the Punjab government is also participating in activities under the Fleming Fund, an international initiative aimed at tackling antimicrobial resistance in humans and animals.

The Fleming Fund is a UK-funded programme supporting efforts against AMR in countries across Africa and Asia. In Pakistan, its country grant, launched in 2019, focuses on addressing gaps in AMR surveillance and strengthening capacity to diagnose and monitor antimicrobial resistance.

Dr Farhan said the misuse and overuse of antibiotics could enable bacteria to develop resistance to medicines, making responsible antibiotic use important for both animal and human health.

He rejected the notion that a “superbug” is currently prevalent in Pakistan’s poultry sector, explaining that the term is non-scientific and generally used to describe bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics.

Good production practices, including proper farm management, effective biosecurity, accurate diagnosis and timely treatment, could substantially reduce disease risks and improve biosecurity at poultry farms, he said.

“Currently, no major zoonotic disease is prevailing in Pakistan’s poultry sector, particularly in Punjab,” Dr Farhan said.

He said common bacterial diseases such as E. coli and Salmonella could be controlled through basic sanitation measures at the poultry-production level and during the handling of poultry products.

He added that poultry meat in Pakistani households is generally consumed fully cooked, which helps eliminate harmful germs.

Dr Farhan said diagnostic and surveillance capacity is also being strengthened. The Bacteriology Laboratory at PRI Rawalpindi has recently been accredited by the Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC).

“This prestigious accreditation reflects the laboratory’s commitment to international standards of quality, technical competence and excellence in diagnostic services,” he said.

According to Dr Farhan, the accreditation would strengthen avian disease diagnostics, AMR surveillance and quality-assured laboratory services for the poultry sector.

Representatives of the poultry farming community have meanwhile supported measures to contain antimicrobial resistance but called for a broader national biosecurity policy covering the use of antibiotics in humans, livestock and poultry.

Dr Abdul Karim Bhatti, former Punjab chairman of the Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA), said unrestricted access to antibiotics remains a major concern.

“Whether antibiotics are intended for human beings or poultry, they are being sold at medical stores like chocolates. There should be a ban on the over-the-counter sale of antibiotics of all types,” he told Wealth Pakistan.

Bhatti said strict implementation of such a policy would help reduce the misuse of antibiotics and contain antimicrobial resistance among both humans and animals, including poultry.

The experts stressed that stronger farm biosecurity, improved disease diagnosis, responsible antibiotic use and tighter controls on the availability of antimicrobial medicines would be important for reducing AMR risks while maintaining safe and sustainable poultry production.

Credit: INP-WealthPk