AN awareness drive for healthy farming without antimicrobial resistance has been initiated by One Health Society in partnership with the Tanzania Health Awake, as a youth-powered campaign tackling a hidden but serious threat to food safety and public health.

Hamis Msagama, the TOHS director, said at the recent agro-sector exhibition in the capital that the campaign is intended to equip livestock keepers, veterinary professionals, and the general public with practical skills in disease prevention and sustainable farming practices.

So far, more than 100 livestock keepers have benefited from the initiative through a multimedia approach with radio broadcasts, social media outreach and community sensitization meetings, he said.

The misuse of antibiotics in livestock farming is among the targeted areas, while the problem is already making a tangible impact among farmers across the country, he stated.

The campaign gained nationwide visibility during the recent agro-sector exhibition where youth farming groups joined outreach officials to showcase best practices in animal husbandry, he said, noting that local influencers and youth champions have a key role in the campaign.

They played a crucial role in ensuring the campaign’s messages are culturally relevant and widely understood, as farmers need to focus on best livestock-keeping practices, he explained.

This way they can prevent diseases, reduce the need for antibiotics and in due course curb antimicrobial resistance, he elaborated, underlining that antimicrobial resistance (AMR), driven by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, is becoming an increasing threat in the country,

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that AMR causes 1.2m deaths globally each year, a figure projected to reach 10m by 2050 if little or no action is taken, especially for poor infection prevention in livestock keeping. It often pushes herders to over-rely on antibiotics, jeopardizing both food safety and public health, the activist emphasized.

Activists are working together with the–Regional Administration and Local Governments wing of the President’s Office (PO-RALG) and the responsible ministry to produce educational materials, train veterinary professionals and distribute hygiene kits to farmers, he stated.

Ismail Mwasege, the campaign coordinator, said that the Tanzania Parliamentarians Alliance on AMR has been engaged to ensure that lessons from the grassroots inform national policy discussions, so that AMR prevention strategies are embedded in the development agenda.

“This step is not only crucial in preventing diseases but also in safeguarding food safety and keeping Tanzania at the forefront of producing livestock products trusted in international markets,” he declared.

As antimicrobial resistance looms as a global health crisis, the “Healthy Farming – No AMR” campaign is being hailed as a model for sustainable agriculture—combining innovation, education and advocacy to protect both livelihoods and public health, concerned officials assert.