A new systematic review and evidence map, led by Global Strategy Lab (GSL) researchers Fiona Emdin, Kayla Strong, Jaskeerat Singh, Daniela Corno, Susan Rogers Van Katwyk, Heather Ganshorn, Arne Ruckert, Steven J. Hoffman, and Mathieu J.P. Poirier, together with Jeremy Grimshaw (Senior Scientist, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute), examines how governments worldwide are designing policy interventions to address antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in production animals.
The study, published in the June 2026 edition of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, analyzed 40 studies evaluating policy interventions, including bans or restrictions on specific antimicrobial uses, prescription-only policies, stewardship guidelines, and reduction targets, across multiple regions and livestock systems.
The review found that regulatory interventions such as antibiotic bans and restrictions were frequently associated with reductions in veterinary antimicrobial use, with some studies reporting declines of 20–80% following policy implementation. These policies were also linked to reductions in antimicrobial resistance in animals and humans. However, the findings revealed a large evidence gap around which policies do and do not work in low- and middle-income countries, where rapidly developing livestock systems face social, economic, infrastructure, and regulatory challenges.
This gap pointed to a new research question about the need to better understand real-world policy initiatives, the implementation barriers they face, and how they actually work in country-specific contexts. It led to an upcoming publication in which 12 AMR policy experts across various World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) regions were interviewed to shed light on these gaps and share their expertise, helping to close the existing knowledge gap.
This work is part of the Vet Policy Pathways project. Learn more here.
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