Association between antimicrobials administered and antimicrobial resistance profiles in food-producing animals in West Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Antimicrobial resistance in farm animals is a growing threat to public health and food safety, particularly in West Africa, where antimicrobial use is often unregulated. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the association between the antimicrobials administered in livestock farming systems (including both terrestrial livestock and aquatic species) and the antimicrobial resistance profiles reported in laboratory research studies in West Africa, assessing the alignment between field usage and laboratory surveillance data. Methods This study was conducted as a systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA 2020 protocol. This review involves an exhaustive literature search, the selection of studies based on predefined criteria, data extraction, and a qualitative and quantitative synthesis of the data. Studies published between 2015 and 2025 on antimicrobials use and antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals, were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Articles were downloaded from PubMed, Scopus, African Journals Online (AJOL), and Google Scholar. Pooled antimicrobial resistance prevalence was estimated using random-effects metanalysis. Between-study heterogeneity was assessed using I² and Cochran’s Q test, whereas, publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots visualization and statistically tested using Egger’s regression test. The association between antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation. All analyses were performed using R (v4.5.2), and results were considered significant at p < 0.05. Results This systematic review and meta-analysis included 102 eligible studies on antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals. The single pooled antimicrobial resistance prevalence was estimated at 40% (95% CI: 35–45%) using a random-effects model, with substantial heterogeneity among studies (I² = 99.4%). The subgroup antimicrobial resistance prevalence was considerably substantial for sulphonamides (73%), tetracyclines (69%), penicillin (60%), and macrolides (55%), whereas but low for carbapenems (10%) and other antimicrobial classes. Antimicrobial use patterns varied according to animal species, with therapeutic use predominating in cattle and pigs, whereas prophylactic use was more frequently reported in poultry and small ruminants. In fish, therapeutic and prophylactic uses were reported at comparable levels. An ecological association was observed between reported antimicrobial use patterns and antimicrobial resistance profiles (Spearman’s ρ = 0.41; p = 0.013). Conclusions This meta-analysis identifies an association between reported antimicrobial usage and antimicrobial resistance profiles in West African livestock. While this confirms a link between field practices and laboratory findings, data heterogeneity necessitates cautious interpretation. Our findings highlight the urgent need for standardized, coupled monitoring of antimicrobial consumption and resistance to inform robust regional control strategies.