Zimbabwe Launches New Frontline Fight Against AMR

By Regina Pasipanodya

Three years have passed but the pain of losing 11 cattle still haunts Thelma Masara whose lifelong investment perished in a blink of an eye.

Masara (71) from Mhondoro Mubaira had invested her retirement money into cattle farming but due to a tick-borne disease that ravaged the agriculture sector in the past years she had to bury her lifelong investment in a single month.

“After my cattle died of tick-borne disease (theileriosis) commonly known as January Disease in 2022, I reached a point that I never wanted to talk about it. Just th thought of it would make me lose it up to the extent that I find solace in drinking,” said Masara.

A tale of devastation:
Masara is one of the small-scale women farmers in Zimbabwe who had to witness their investments in cattle farming going down the drain due to tick-borne disease in the past years which affected nearly all provinces across the country.

Due to its dry spells and hot conditions induced by Elnino, the mortality rate reached 89 cattle per day in Matabeleland (as reported by the Chronicle) in October last year due to tick-borne disease (theileriosis).

Theileriosis is spread by brown ticks leading to swelling of the lymph nodes, rough skin, running eyes, loss of appetite and later death; a case of microbial disease that is spread through pathogens.

This outbreak strained the veterinary services in Zimbabwe as it has to research and identify the remedy for the outbreak of theileriosis which had robbed many families the symbol of their wealth in a very short time.

However, after intensive research on theileriosis and the brown tick in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa, it became possible to control the disease through regular dipping programs that were instituted across the country.

The devastation of cattle populations were very different, and the Veterinary Services and the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fishery, Water and Rural Development urged farmers to dip, whether through the conventional immersion dip or spray dipping.

This is one of the methods that were implemented to curb the devastating outbreak of January disease but it has already claimed more than half a million cattle in Zimbabwe.

At first, it was not easy to contain the disease due to its resistance to other chemicals. However, after continuous research, testing and thorough analysis, tick-borne disease was managed.

This is one of the situations where the government of Zimbabwe has had to grapple with antimicrobial resistance, in the face of other pressing public health concerns such as the rise of HIV, malaria, and cholera outbreaks.

National Action Plan 2.0 launched:
In response to the global threat posed by escalating problems of antimicrobial resistance like that of theileroisis, the government of Zimbabwe working with its partners; the UK government, the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the Biomedical Research and Training Institute launched the Zimbabwe Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plan 2024-2028 (NAP 2.0) phase 3 recently.

Zimbabwe is one of the first African countries to implement NAP. According to WHO, Zimbabwe’s drug resistance index stood at 66.6 percent against a benchmark of 25 percent in 2023.

However, this action plan was financed through the Fleming Fund which seeks to help low to middle-income countries like Zimbabwe to fight AMR.

Speaking during the launch ceremony, the UK Embassy representative Dr. Jo Abbott said that their government is very worried about the threat of AMR to both people and animal health.

“Since 2018 the UK through the Fleming fund has been collaborating with the government of Zimbabwe and other donors to implement programmes that can combat AMR guided by the One Health national action plan. The first phase of the partnership was the Fleming fund grant provided to Zimbabwe with a budget of about five million dollars which ended in November 2022 it was developed and implemented through a consortium of UN agencies who are represented here today, WHO, FAO and also the Biomedical Research and Training Institute at the RTI,” said Dr. Abbott.

The UK recognises the effects of microbial on animals and livestock and about 13 million dollars was funded through the World Organisation for Animal Health with the UK being the 50% funder demonstrating its long-term commitment to the fight against AMR since 2018.

Zimbabwe’s livestock sector plays a vital role in the national economy and rural livelihoods, with a significant proportion of rural households keeping poultry, which serves as a safety net for food security and income generation.

However, the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in poultry and livestock farming can accelerate the spread of resistant pathogens, threatening both animals and human health.

FAO has also been working closely with national stakeholders to promote good agriculture and animal cross-boundary practices as part of AMR mitigation.

In his remarks, Sub Regional Coordinator for Southern Africa FAO Representative for Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Eswatini, Patrice Talla Takoukam said the farmer-free school model, for example, has been instrumental in building farmers’ capacity to reduce disease risk through improved management, thereby lowering dependence on antimicrobials.

“Such initiatives align with the National Action Plan 2.0 objective, which emphasises prevention-first strategies, enhanced biosecurity measures, and sustainable production methods,” said Takoukam

Therefore, the second Fleming Fund Country Grant provided an opportunity to further strengthen AMR surveillance across Zimbabwe.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr. Pious Makaya said the partnership and support through the Fleming Fund has been instrumental towards capacity building.

“NAP 1 was instrumental in laying the foundation and we managed to renovate laboratories that are significant in detecting AMR in terms of collecting samples, testing and analyzing data to find solutions. This has been effective in addressing microbial problems faced in Zimbabwe,” said Dr Makaya.

With NAP 2.0 in place, Zimbabwe is set to make a positive impact in the fight against AMR due to its continued dedication, collaboration, innovation, and commitment to overcome the challenges of AMR.