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The World Animal Protection (WAP) has issued a pressing call for the swift implementation of laws safeguarding consumers of animal and bird meat in Uganda. This international animal welfare organization has raised alarm over the consumption of chicken infused with antibiotics, cautioning that it contributes to the proliferation of undetected diseases in humans.
Edith Kabesiime, the wildlife campaign manager at World Animal Protection (WAP), highlighted the risks associated with excessive consumption of white chicken treated with antibiotics, linking it to health issues such as cholesterol elevation, cancer, and other perilous diseases among humans. According to Kabesiime, a staggering 90 percent of chicken consumed by the public in Uganda contains antibiotics, primarily administered to accelerate their growth rate. She emphasized that many urban Ugandans are consuming young white chicken, typically three weeks old, which are often fed with antibiotics.
Kabesiime further underscored the dangers posed by antibiotic growth hormones injected into white chicken, cautioning against the health risks associated with their consumption. Despite these risks, the affordability of such chicken prompts many Ugandans to purchase them without considering the potential health hazards.
Expressing concern over inadequate law enforcement and pending bills in parliament, Kabesiime lamented the lack of sufficient protection for Ugandan chicken consumers. She highlighted the serious threat of antibiotic resistance resulting from the overuse of drugs in birds, warning of the imminent risk of losing effective life-saving drugs due to this phenomenon.
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The misuse of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs to fatten pigs and chicken raised concerns in September last year, sparking fears of health risks. However, local meat dealers reported that these concerns had not significantly impacted the demand for their products.
Meanwhile, WAP revealed that billions of wild animals endure suffering on wildlife farms worldwide, where they are subjected to cruel conditions and often hunted for economic purposes, such as fashion and traditional medicine. A WAP research study estimated that approximately 5.5 billion wild animals are confined in harsh conditions on commercial wildlife farms globally.
The findings and warnings issued by WAP highlight the urgent need for regulatory action to address the widespread use of antibiotics in chicken farming and to ensure the welfare and safety of both animals and consumers.
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