Question Period Note: ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR) AT THE CANADIAN FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY

Q1 – How will the Canadian Food Inspection Agency implement the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance?

R.1 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, with other federal partners, will make every effort to routinely engage with stakeholders about the implementation of the Pan-Canadian Action Plan. It will support industry in the development and implementation of sector specific baselines and measurable antimicrobial use reduction goals.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to facilitate access to alternatives to antimicrobial use, and promotes infection prevention and control measures, including the use of vaccines as appropriate and biosecurity measures.

These initiatives are aimed at keeping animals healthy, reducing the need to use antimicrobials, while maintaining a balance with animal welfare.

The Government is committed to continuing its efforts to raise awareness about AMR and the importance of using antimicrobials in animals responsibly.

The World Health Organization has declared that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity.

In 2020, approximately 82% of antimicrobials were sold for use in production animals, 17% for people, less than 1% for cats and dogs and less than 1% for plants/crops.

Noting that there are many more animals than people in Canada, after adjusting for the underlying biomass, there were approximately 1.8 times more antimicrobials sold for use in production animals (food animals and horses) than for people.

The importance of addressing AMR was recognized in the Minister of Health’s 2019 and 2021 mandate letters. Specifically, the Minister was asked to work with partners to take increased and expedited action to monitor, prevent and mitigate the serious and growing threat of antimicrobial resistance and preserve the effectiveness of the antimicrobials Canadians rely upon every day.

Budget 2021 allocated $28.4 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, with $5.7 million per year on-going, to the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), to help address AMR. Investments will support efforts to prevent the inappropriate use of antimicrobials and expand efforts to monitor the emergence of AMR in Canada.

Budget 2023 also proposed additional funding for the Public Health Agency of Canada including to help maintain their core capacities and secure new antimicrobials for Canadians.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency actions to fight against AMR

The CFIA, together with Health Canada and stakeholders, is taking action to facilitate access to more products that maintain animal health and reduce the need for routine use of antimicrobials. This includes:

The new Feeds Regulations, 2024, now allow the addition of veterinary health products, such as vitamins and natural plant extracts, to be mixed into animal feed;

Exploring new international partnerships between the CFIA and like-minded regulatory partners to advance the regulation of safe, effective, and quality veterinary biologics; and,

Creating a regulatory environment that encourages companies to sell new veterinary biologics and new feed products in Canada at the same time as larger markets.

The Government of Canada has been working collaboratively on combatting AMR and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including: the livestock feed industry; national producer associations; the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association; federal, provincial and territorial governments; and veterinary drug manufacturers regarding actions needed to keep animals healthy and reduce the need to use antimicrobials.

This stakeholder community is supportive of Canada’s action plan to combat the spread of AMR. Stakeholders previously involved in the development of the Pan-Canadian Action Plan (PCAP), published in June 2023, are expecting the federal government to play a leadership role.. The progress report of the first year of the PCAP implementation will be published in September 2024.

AMR Office of the Auditor General (OAG) Audit

The Office of the Auditor General released an audit report on AMR (Report 6) on October 19, 2023. The report looked at organizations who have AMR responsibilities including the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The CFIA is implicated in and has accepted three recommendations in the report pertaining to 1) The execution and monitoring of the Pan-Canadian Action Plan, 2) The evaluation of a Health Canada/Canadian Food Inspection Agency joint approach to identifying non-compliance with the requirement that feed mills and retail feed stores sell feed containing medically important antimicrobials by prescription only; and 3) Establishing and appropriate baselines for use and measurable goals for reducing antimicrobial use.

The Government is taking action to address the threat that antimicrobial resistance poses to human and animal health.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency works with other government departments to improve monitoring and surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial use in the agri-food sector.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency takes a One Health approach by recognizing the interconnections between people, animals, plants and their shared environment.

This approach supports industry-led activities with the goal of preserving the effectiveness of antimicrobials for animal health and welfare and food security.