Growing Forward 2 - Final Report Project II | Page 4

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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