Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is predicted to contribute to more than 10 million deaths worldwide by 2050 if the current AMR trend continues.
Antimicrobials, which include antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics, are medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.
As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.
Acting Regional Pharmacist Lourdes Hamayulu in a speech delivered on her behalf at the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week celebration at Swakopmund on Thursday, said AMR is largely driven by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials resulting in approximately 700 000 people dying each year from conditions that were once easily curable.
“Already resistance to HIV drugs is rising; more than 100 countries worldwide report extensively drug-resistant Tuberculosis and Namibia is no exception.
Hospital acquires infections with highly resistant ineffective organisms are now becoming daily realities as there is significant resistance to Amoxicillin, the current first-line drug in the STG for most bacterial infections,” Hamayulu noted.
She added that improving the appropriate use of antibiotics is one way to limit the spread of AMR and increase vaccination coverage.
“We need to get better at how we use existing antibiotics, whether for humans or animals. Efforts to achieve desired prescribing behaviour among prescribers is critical.”
Erongo Governor, Neville Andre Itope, emphasised that AMR can lead to higher medical costs because patients have to be put on alternative medicine which is more costly and complex with possible high higher side effects.
“There is therefore a need for strong coordination and collaboration. We need to start at the community, households and individuals by doing the basic things which are amongst others; taking your medication as prescribed, do not share your medication and do not default from your treatment and completing the course even if you feel better,” Itope advised.
(NAMPA)
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
