ANIMAL HEALTH INSTITUTE STATEMENT ON WHITE HOUSE FORUM FOR ANTIBIOTIC STEWARDSHIP

Washington, DC – Animal health companies are pleased to have the opportunity to participate in today's White House Forum for Antibiotic Stewardship bringing together some 150 representatives from both human and animal health. Healthy animals mean healthy people, which is why the Animal Health Institute (AHI) supports a collaborative, broad-based approach to keeping animals and humans safe and healthy utilizing best practices in prevention and treatment of disease. Today's White House forum is an important step to safeguarding animal and human health now and in the future.

Like doctors who treat humans, veterinarians have a moral obligation to help prevent and treat disease in animals. Therefore, it is essential for veterinarians to continue to have a broad range of animal medicines available as tools to treat and prevent diseases and control outbreaks.

Our current stewardship efforts are focused on implementation of the Food and Drug Administration's judicious use policy. When fully implemented, this policy means that medically important antibiotics will be used in food animals only to fight disease under the supervision of a veterinarian.

The Animal Health industry and our members are committed to working with our human health colleagues and a broad range of stakeholders to build upon progress that has been made to ensure judicious use of animal medicines that protect both human and animal health.