AVA marks World AMR Awareness Week with prescribing guidelines

For more than 3 decades, the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has been involved in the international effort to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through development of science-based prescribing guidelines, antimicrobial stewardship programs, community education, and advocacy under Australia’s One Health policy framework. 

World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) is celebrated globally from 18–24 November to increase understanding of AMR and promote best practice among veterinarians and other health care professionals, policymakers, and the broader public. The 2025 theme, Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future, highlights the urgent need for coordinated action to safeguard human, animal, and environmental health. 

Dr Melanie Latter, AVA’s National Manager of Policy and Veterinary Science, said the association remains steadfast in its commitment to guiding veterinarians in the responsible use of antimicrobials. “Veterinarians play a crucial role in protecting both animal and human health,” she said. 

“Through our prescribing guidelines, the AVA is helping to ensure antimicrobials remain effective for generations to come,” she said. 

This year, the AVA expanded its comprehensive suite of antimicrobial prescribing guidelines with the addition of an equine-specific module, launched in September. These join existing guidelines developed under the AVA–AMA Antimicrobial Prescribing Guidelines for Livestock and Horses Project, which already covers pigs, poultry, sheep, dairy cattle, and feedlot cattle. 

The guidelines provide practical, science-based advice tailored to each sector, supporting veterinarians in making evidence-based prescribing decisions that reduce the risk of development of resistance while ensuring good animal health and welfare outcomes. 

Full resources, including the newly published Antimicrobial Prescribing Guidelines for Horses in Australia, are available through the AVA’s antimicrobial resistance resource portal. 

 The equine guidelines have also been published in the September issue of the Australian Veterinary Journal, and will be featured as a lead article in the December issue. 

New national guidelines for Australian wildlife 

Veterinarians and wildlife carers across Australia now have access to new, evidence-based Guidelines for Antibiotic Prescribing in Australian Wildlife, launched this week by the AMR Vet Collective in collaboration with Wildlife Health Australia. 

Developed by experts in wildlife medicine and antimicrobial stewardship, these are Australia’s first national guidelines designed specifically for the treatment of wildlife. The guidelines aim to help veterinarians make informed decisions about when and how to use antibiotics, protecting both animal welfare and the effectiveness of these critical medicines. 

The guidelines are freely available at www.amrvetcollective.com and www.wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au.