RUMA and Wayland Farms recognised in Antibiotic Stewardship Awards

The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) alliance won two awards and Wayland Farms was highly commended at the Antibiotic Guardian Awards on Wednesday.

RUMA picked up the Prescribing & Stewardship award with its ‘Target Task Force’ initiative, which brought together farmers and vets together to set antibiotic targets for the livestock sectors. It triumphed from a competitive shortlist of 10 that included various NHS Trusts and a leading Malaysian hospital.

RUMA also won the Community Communications award for the #ColostrumIsGold campaign, which, running throughout February, aimed to cut the need for antibiotics in neonatal and older animals through improved colostrum management at birth.

Wayland was highly commended in the new Agriculture and Food category. The winner was the University of Bristol Veterinary School’s ‘AMR Force’ programme, with the British Poultry Council also highly commended. Other shortlisted entries in the category were Pyon Products, The Co-op, Tesco, MSD Animal Health, Waitrose Farming Partnership and University of Nottingham.

Previously the awards, run by mission-driven event organisers 4 All of Us on behalf of Public Health England (PHE), have focused primarily on human medicine. But with the new Agriculture and Food category introduced this year attracting 16 entries, and farming and animal medicine featuring among the shortlist in other categories, the industry’s progress in meeting the antibiotic was duly recognised this year.

The evening started with Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies acknowledging the antibiotic stewardship achievements of the poultry meat and pig sectors within her opening speech.

Amy Jackson, who collected the awards on behalf of RUMA, said it was a very proud moment to see the farming industry holding its own at such a prestigious ‘One Health’ event.

She said: “The last two years have been incredibly hard work for all involved in engaging the farming industry with the issue of antibiotic resistance. But tonight’s event, including the number of entries from farming and the quality of the shortlists, shows the progress we’ve made. The discussion really has moved on from ‘who is to blame’, to ‘what can we do?’, and the best practice on show will help us all take a truly One Health approach in the future.”