Leading figures in the drive to safeguard antibiotic efficacy in human and animal health are to join forces at a conference hosted by the multi-award-winning Welsh programme, Arwain DGC.
The title of the one-day Arwain DGC conference is ‘Leading the Way in Responsible Antibiotic Use', and the event will focus on the success and ongoing work to promote and support responsible antibiotic use.
The Welsh Government-funded programme, led by Mentera, is dedicated to preventing antibiotic resistance in animals and the environment by supporting farmers and vets with data-driven decision-making, innovative technologies, and best practices.
Now in its 5th year, Arwain DGC is at the forefront of global efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Its ground-breaking initiatives, workstreams and strong collaborative approach have become blueprints for action on AMR in other countries. The Welsh programme's work has been recognised worldwide, with international plaudits including several prestigious ‘Antibiotic Guardian' awards.
The conference will be held in Cardiff on November 18th – a date chosen to coincide with the start of World AMR Awareness Week – and will feature key expert speakers from Wales and beyond, with participants drawn from across the veterinary, public health, and research sectors.
It is aimed at all those involved in animal and human health, including vets, public health professionals, policy-makers, and representatives from the farming industry.
Dewi Hughes, Arwain DGC's programme manager, said,
“Since Arwain's inception, fostering partnership and facilitating collaboration have been at the core of our work. We are delighted and encouraged at the positive response we have had across the veterinary and farming communities to tackling AMR and promoting good antibiotic stewardship.
“By bringing together like-minded people, the conference will further strengthen those connections and reaffirm commitment to meeting the global ‘One Health' challenge. It will be an opportunity to celebrate the progress made in Wales and to share the successes and latest experiences of those who are working internationally at the vanguard of AMR research and antimicrobial stewardship.”
The conference will follow three themes: ‘Success in Supporting AMS', ‘From Wales to the World', and ‘Tackling AMR Together', and it will be chaired by Dr Gwen Rees, President of the BVA.
Among the speakers* will be Wales Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Richard Irvine, members of the Arwain DGC team and partner organisations, Welsh and UK government advisors, and international experts including Dr Adam Valcek and Dr Hetty Schreurs from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and Clair Frith from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria.
Dewi Hughes said,
“While the nucleus of its work is in Wales, Arwain DGC is very much an international-facing programme. The Arwain team have established excellent and important links with experts around the world. We all share the same aim, and we are delighted to welcome some of them here to Wales to hear first-hand about our successes and to share their work and perspectives.”
The following day (November 19th), there will be an additional opportunity to find out more about Arwain DGC's work, as all delegates are invited to visit Marcross Farm in the Vale of Glamorgan. Marcross Farm is one of Arwain DGC's Proof of Concept (POC) farms, and forms part of a workstream that has been central to trialling new technology and obtaining vital data on antibiotic use on beef, dairy, and sheep farms throughout Wales.
To register a place at the Arwain DGC ‘Leading the Way in Responsible Antibiotic Use' conference, please use the following link: Arwain DGC Conference 2026 – Arwain
