TANZANIA may soon get rid of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) if the newly launched AMR National Action Plan is fully implemented.
The plan was launched on Friday by the
Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health, Community
Development, Gender, Elders and Children, Dr Mpoki Ulisubisya.
Among other things, the plan aims at
improving awareness and understanding on AMR through effective
communication, education and training as well as strengthening knowledge
and evidence base through surveillance and research.
Other objectives of the newly launched
plan according to Dr Ulisubisya, is to reduce infection through
effective sanitation, hygiene and infection prevention measures,
optimizing the use of antimicrobial medicines in human and animal
health.
“This plan also seeks to develop the
economic case for sustainable development that takes accounts of the
needs of all countries and to increase investment in new medicines,
diagnostic tools, vaccines and other interventions,’’ he said, just few
minutes before launching the plan.
The document further specifies the
establishment of the National AMR Coordinating Committee, the technical
working groups, the secretariat and the AMR focal point. It further
describes the implementation structure at different levels. The AMR
National Action Plan, after a two-day symposium on MNR, brought together
medics, researchers and other stakeholders in the health sector held in
Dar es Salaam.
The symposium was jointly organised by
the government through the Ministry of Community Development, Gender,
Elders and Children in collaboration with the World Health Organisation
(WHO) and the Health Promotion and System Strengthening (HPSS) Project
dubbed ‘Tuimarishe Afya’ funded by the Swiss Development and Cooperation
Agency (SDC), implemented by the Tropical and Public Health Institute
(Swiss TPH).
The symposium which featured
presentations focusing on AMR from a variety of angles was followed by
working sessions that aimed at raising awareness on AMR and translate
evidence into policy and action to effectively address the threat of AMR
in Tanzania and handle antibiotics with care. AMR is a serious problem
in the human health care and agricultural sector, according to the
global report on AMR published by WHO in 2014.
A decrease in effectiveness among
antimicrobials is leading to an unnecessary high morbidity and mortality
rates and a great loss of resources globally. According to the Chief
Medical Officer (CMO), Professor Muhammad Bakari, the newly launched AMR
National Action Plan is in line with the Global Action Plan, addressing
the area of awareness, communication, education, surveillance system,
laboratory capacity, research and development, infection prevention and
control as well as health waste management.
“In Tanzania, awareness on AMR is very
low among consumer groups and civil society, even though they do play a
crucial role in combatting AMR, thus, we need a way to target behaviour
of all factors that contribute to misuse of antimicrobials, especially
by involving communities,’’ said Prof Bakari.
The Acting WHO Representative, Dr
Richard Banda, said AMR was one of the threats to global health and that
it endangers human development.
“Common infections are becoming
resistant to the antimicrobial medicines that result in longer illness
and more deaths,’’ he said. According to Dr Banda, if left unchecked,
AMR was likely to make common dental and surgical procedures risky and
infections more difficult to treat.
“This year, the World Antibiotics
Awareness Week will be commemorated from 13 to 19 November. WHO is
encouraging member states, partners and the public in general to join
this campaign and help raise awareness of antibiotic resistance,’’ he
noted.
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