EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Project II was designed to achieve consensus on the prioritization of the suggested stewardship actions, and to define the key Priority Initiatives for Ontario food-producing animal veterinarians to champion in order to assist in minimizing the development of antibiotic resistance.
The College of Veterinarians of Ontario( CVO) Project,“ Setting an Action Agenda for Veterinary Stewardship of Antibiotic Use in Ontario”,(“ CVO Project II”) spanning April 2016 – October 2017, follows and builds on the CVO Project“ Antibiotic Use in Food- Producing Animals in Ontario: A Study of the Current Practises and Perceptions of Ontario Veterinarians”(“ CVO Project I”), which took place from April 2014 to September 2015. The full report on CVO Project I can be found on the CVO website at www. cvo. org / Reports.
The CVO protects and serves the public interest through the regulation of the practice of veterinary medicine in Ontario. Accordingly, veterinarians are licensed, facilities are accredited, standards and policies are developed and maintained, and an investigation and resolutions process is available. The CVO licenses approximately 4,600 veterinarians and accredits over 2,300 veterinary facilities in Ontario. The role and authority of the College is set out in the Veterinarians Act, and regulations are made under this legislation. The veterinary profession in Ontario has been regulated since 1877, and is financed largely by the licence fees of veterinarians in Ontario.
Growing Forward 2( GF2) is a federal-provincial-territorial initiative that encourages innovation, competitiveness, market development, adaptability and industry sustainability in Canada’ s agri-food and agri-products sectors. In Ontario, GF2 has provided resources, tools and cost-share funding assistance to producers, processors, organizations and collaborations to grow their profits, expand markets and manage shared risks 1. In Ontario, funding assistance is provided for projects that align with one or more of six specified focus areas, two of which are directly related to veterinary medicine – animal health and assurance systems( food safety, traceability and animal welfare).
The term“ One Health” refers to the collaborative effort of numerous disciplines, working locally, nationally and globally, to attain optimal health for people, animals and the environment. The increasing threat of resistance to antibiotics is a One Health concern and antibiotic use in food animals is an important part of that conversation. The CVO has demonstrated leadership through CVO Projects I and II, and has provided an opportunity to facilitate dialogue with Ontario veterinarians on the topic of profession-based stewardship of antibiotic use in food-producing animals.
While the CVO has taken the lead on these efforts, the Project Advisory Group has provided direction and guidance throughout. The Project Advisory Group includes representatives from:
• Canadian Animal Health Institute
• College of Veterinarians of Ontario
• Food-producing animal veterinarians at large
• Ontario Animal Health Network
• Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners
• Ontario Association of Poultry Veterinarians
• Ontario Association of Swine Veterinarians
• Ontario Livestock and Poultry Council
• Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Ontario Veterinary Medical Association
• Public Health Agency of Canada
• Small Ruminant Veterinarians of Ontario
• University of Guelph- Ontario Veterinary College
• University of Guelph- Animal Health Laboratory
Through Project I, veterinarians described the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals in Ontario, and identified current strengths and challenges in this area. Veterinarians expressed an enthusiastic willingness to be the stewards of antibiotic use in food-producing animals. The project yielded 111 unique actions with potential to minimize the development of antibiotic resistance. Consultation feedback indicated that a detailed review of the Suggested Actions, involving key stakeholders, was warranted, in order to determine which suggestions were realistic, doable and practical. As well, it was felt that prioritization of the Suggested Actions, as to their potential for positive impact on the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals, would be of value. Further, there was recognition of the need to achieve consensus on the views of Ontario veterinarians regarding any final recommended actions.
CVO Project II,“ Setting an Action Agenda for Veterinary Stewardship of Antibiotic Use in Ontario” was designed and developed to continue the discussion from CVO Project I, by addressing the feedback recommendations for further action. Specifically, Project II was designed to achieve consensus on prioritization of the suggested stewardship actions, and to define key Priority Initiatives for Ontario food-producing animal veterinarians to champion in order to assist in minimizing the development of antibiotic resistance. As well, the project provided the opportunity for foodproducing animal veterinarians and other stakeholders to devise specific strategies to implement the selected Priority Initiatives. Through a three-stage process, which included iterative surveys of Ontario food-producing animal veterinarians, a Multi-Stakeholder Forum, and a Stakeholder Consultation Survey, an Action Agenda for Veterinary Stewardship of Antibiotic Use in Food-Producing Animals in Ontario has been developed and defined. It is important to note that although the CVO was the spearhead organization for this Project, it was not anticipated that the recommendations from this work would necessarily be implemented by the CVO.
Furthermore, leaders from four key Ontario veterinary organizations including the CVO, the Ontario Veterinary College( OVC), the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association( OVMA) and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs( OMAFRA) have formed the Ontario Veterinary Leadership Collaborative On Antimicrobial Resistance. This Collaborative will receive the Priority Initiatives and Proposed Tactics for consideration and championing through multiple sources.
1 http:// www. omafra. gov. on. ca / english / about / growingforward / gf2-index. htm
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