Data from the world organization for animal health (OIE) show global progress in regulating and monitoring the use of antimicrobials in animals.

The report presents the overall results of the third annual data collection, as well as global and regional analysis from 2015 to 2017.

The event was attended by 155 countries, indicating the extension of international understanding and prioritizing the problem.

However, the key antimicrobials classified by the who as "Critically important antimicrobials with highest priority", including colistin, are still being used in several regions.

The OIE said that this practice threatens the "many drugs that are taken for granted", for animals and for people.

The practice of using antibiotics as growth promoters has been banned by the European Union in 2006 and the control over products and medicines of the USA in 2017. Argentina also banned the "development, dissemination, import, use and storage of veterinary medicines containing the active ingredient colistin and its salt".

But the report shows positive progress overall, although in 72 countries there is no regulatory framework on the use of growth stimulants, which is less than in the first report of the database in which 110 countries had no such basis.

This decrease indicates progress in the implementation of rules for the use of antimicrobial agents.

"Many countries have already taken key actions such as the creation of surveillance systems and regulation of the use of antimicrobials for humans and animals, but we still have a long way to go," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Gebran, Director General of the world health organization.

"Working together is the only way to avoid enormous human, social, economic and environmental costs of antimicrobial resistance", he said.