Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 08, 2011 News
…as World Health Day observed
As part of its observance of World Health Day, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) yesterday launched a ‘Be wise, know when antibiotics work’ campaign, which is aimed at raising awareness about the safe use of antibiotics.
World Health Day is celebrated on a global scale each year on April 7 to mark the founding of the World Health Organization on the same date in 1948.
According to PAHO Country Representative, Dr Beverly Barnett, each year a key health issue is highlighted for attention, with this year’s observance being focused on anti-microbial resistance. It was observed under the theme “Combat drug resistance, no action today, no cure tomorrow.”
Dr Barnett explained that microbes are very small organisms or life forms that cause infections and are usually referred to as germs. As such, the drugs that are used to treat such infections are called anti-microbials. These, the PAHO Representative said, include antibiotics such as penicillin and tetracycline; antiretrovirals such as didanosine and zidovudine, which have helped to turn the HIV infection from certain death to a chronic disease; anti-malarials such as chloroquine and many other drugs.
“They have saved millions of lives around the world and they can save many more. However sometimes germs like these and others, that antimicrobials are meant to damage or kill, develop resistance to the drugs, that is, they become immune to the effect of these drugs.”
Anti-microbial resistance is therefore a major threat to the control of communicable or infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV, Tuberculosis and others, Dr Barnett added.
Resistance to common, cheaper anti-microbials makes it necessary to use expensive and more complex treatments that are not easily accessible and cannot be kept in stock in large supply, especially in settings where resources are limited, she noted.
The PAHO Representative said the problem is compounded by the fact that some microbes that are resistant to multiple drugs make effective treatment of patients with those infections very challenging. She asserted that anti-microbial resistance occurs more easily when there is inappropriate use of drugs, which includes unnecessary prescribing, such as in cases of treating viral infections like the common cold with antibiotics, and self-prescribing.
According to her, it can happen if there is failure to complete the prescribed course of treatment; the use of low quality medicines; wrong prescription; core infection control in health facilities and misuse of antibiotics in animal husbandry; the use of low doses of antibiotics to fatten farm animals or prevent veterinary illnesses that often provide just enough of the drug to kill some, but not all of the bacteria.
“The germs that survive are typically those that have genetic mutations for resisting the antibiotic. They then reproduce and exchange genes with other microbial resisters, and the resistant strains that are thus produced in the animals find their way into humans.”
Dr Barnett said multiple studies over the years support the conclusion that the use of low doses of antibiotics in animals increases the number of drug resistant microbes in both animals and people.
She pointed out that World Health Day 2011 seeks to raise awareness of the factors that contribute to anti-microbial resistance, to build commitment, to develop and implement common solutions and to encourage implementation or strengthening of policies and practices that can prevent and contain anti-microbial resistance.
In light of this, WHO yesterday unveiled a six-point policy package for all countries to consider in combating anti-microbial resistance. The package, according to Dr Barnett, suggests that (1) countries commit to a comprehensive finance national plan with accountability and civil society engagement; (2) strengthen surveyor and laboratory capacity; (3) ensure uninterrupted access to essential medicines of assured quality; (4) regulate and promote the rational use of medicines including in animal husbandry and ensure proper patient care; (5) enhance infection and prevention control and (6) foster innovation, research and development for new tools.
According to Dr Barnett, PAHO/WHO has extended calls to all policymakers, managers, health workers, consumers, patients and partners in health to make sure that anti-microbial resistance is prevented or minimized to enable “action today, so that there will still be a cure tomorrow.”
World Health Day, according to Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, presents an opportunity for Guyana to join the rest of the world in reaffirming the commitment to long productive, disability-free lives.
In recognition of the problem of anti-microbial resistance, Dr. Ramsammy said that Guyana has joined the efforts of PAHO/WHO in highlighting the problem which has for years been neglected.
“We in Guyana will do our part along with PAHO and other partners; we will try to make the public aware and make our country knowledgeable about our campaign. The ‘Get Wise’ Campaign is about better use of our medicines.”
He noted that while the campaign over the next three months will focus on the use of antibiotics, it will equally apply to any and all medicines, as efforts are made to get people to know their medicines.
“We are going to get people to not only know their medicines, whether they are using it for HIV or diabetes, but we are going to get them to use medicines properly at all times, it is in all of our interest.”
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