The World Animal Protection (WAP), an international animal welfare organization, stated that 90% of chicken meat in Uganda contains antibiotics and advised Ugandans to avoid consuming the poultry that contains the drugs as it can lead to the spread of undetected diseases in humans, the local media reported on Wednesday.
“90 percent of chicken consumed by the public contains antibiotics which are given to the chicken to grow fast. Most Ugandans in town are eating white chicken which is three weeks old. Such chicken is fed on antibiotics,” WAP's wildlife campaign manager Edith Kabesiime said, as cited by the media.
On Tuesday, Kabesiime reportedly said that overconsumption of white chicken treated with antibiotics can lead to health risks such as higher levels of cholesterol, cancer, and other serious diseases in humans.
Kabesiime also criticized the inadequate enforcement of laws and the delay of relevant bills in parliament, stating that this situation leaves Ugandan chicken consumers vulnerable, the report said.
“There is a serious concern that overuse of drugs in birds has contributed to antibiotic resistance. Experts have warned that we are close to the point at which medicine may find itself without effective lifesaving drugs,” she was quoted as saying.
Local meat sellers, however, reportedly said that the concerns didn't have much of an impact on the demand for chicken.
The extensive use of antibiotics in poultry and other farm animals contributes to the escalating issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The World Health Organization has identified AMR as a major threat to global health, food security, and development, with the potential to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050.