Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) happens when bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi develop resistance against medicines that were previously able to cure them.
"Antimicrobial resistance threatens the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and requires a global response," Mr Thomson said. "Member States have today agreed upon a strong political declaration that provides a good basis for the international community to move forward. No one country, sector or organization can address this issue alone."
"Antimicrobial resistance poses a fundamental threat to human health, development, and security. The commitments made today must now be translated into swift, effective, lifesaving actions across the human, animal, and environmental health sectors. We are running out of time," said Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO.
Common and life-threatening infections like pneumonia, gonorrhoea, and post-operative infections, as well as HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria are increasingly becoming untreatable because of AMR. Left unchecked, AMR is predicted to have significant social, health security, and economic repercussions that will seriously undermine the development of countries.
The high levels of AMR already seen in the world today are the result of overuse and misuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobials in humans, animals (including farmed fish), and crops, as well as the spread of residues of these medicines in soil, crops, and water. Within the broader context of AMR, resistance to antibiotics is considered the greatest and most urgent global risk requiring international and national attention.
"AMR is a problem not just in our hospitals, but on our farms and in our food, too. Agriculture must shoulder its share of responsibility, both by using antimicrobials more responsibly and by cutting down on the need to use them, through good farm hygiene," said Dr José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of FAO.
"Effective and accessible antibiotics are as vital for protecting animal health and welfare and good veterinary medicine as they are for human health. We urge national authorities to strongly support all sectors involved, through promotion of responsible and prudent use, good practices and implementation of established standards and guidelines," said Dr Monique Eloit, Director-General of OIE.
They stressed that affordability and access to existing and new antibiotics, vaccines and other medical tools should be a global priority and should take into account the needs of all countries.
extracted from
http://who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/commitment-antimicrobial-resistance/en/
In the news on Zimbabwe and drug resistant diseases
Fears mount over drug-resistant HIV
At least 60 percent of people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Zimbabwe, are becoming resistant to the key anti-retroviral drug, Tenofovir, raising fears among scientists that a strain of virus resistant to drugs might have de- veloped.
The scientists, whose research was carried out in 36 countries between 2012 and 2015, said another possible cause of the resistance could be due to poor administration of the drug.
The study results showed that the 60 percent of people living with HIV continued to have an uncontrolled virus despite being treated with medications, including Tenofovir, compared to 20 percent in Europe.
The results further revealed that treatment failure as a result of drug resistance was common in people with a lower CD4 count due to HIV progression, and that the treatment worked best when begun with a high CD4 count.
The research, led by the University College London, looked at around 2 000 HIV patients worldwide over the four-year period.
Tenofovir is the common component in HIV treatment in most countries, including Zimbabwe.
He said the high number of Africans resistant to Tenofovir could have been due to poor administration of the drug or that they were infected by someone who already had a drug-resistant form of virus.
“If the right levels of the drug are not taken, as in they are too low, or not regularly maintained, the virus can overcome the drug and become resistant,” said Dr Gupta.
“Tenofovir is a critical part of our armamentarium against HIV, so it is extremely concerning to see such a high level of resistance to this drug.
He said HIV positive people in Zimbabwe could only be moved to another combination of drugs when they began to show signs of resistance, unlike in other African countries which switch patients depending on availability of drug combinations.
extracted http://www.herald.co.zw/fears-mount-over-drug-resistant-hiv/
Government frets over drug resistant patients - NewsDay Zimbabwe
Government is worried at the increase in patients that are resistant to antibiotics, resulting in complications in combating tuberculosis, malaria and HIV.
“We have noted emerging cases of multiple drug resistance among TB and malaria patients. There has also been resistance to first or second line medicines for HIV, forcing us to change to more expensive medications,” he said.
In a presentation, World Health Organisation official and medical doctor, Stanley Midzi, said nearly 700 000 people around the world die each year because of drug resistance.
Midzi said if unchecked, the figure could rise to one million deaths per year with medical costs rising by more than $100 trillion, as more expensive drugs would be used.
Musiiwa said if action was not taken soon, more people could die from drug resistance rather than from the actual diseases.
“Anti-microbial resistance is like a time bomb, soon going to be causing more deaths than the HIV pandemic and TB infections combined in sub-Saharan Africa if left unattended.....,” he said.
Musiiwa said anti-microbial drug resistance affected all infectious diseases that were caused by microbes, which are bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites.
“In other words, a patient is treated with the correct medicine, but the microbes will not respond to the agent such that signs and symptoms of the illness may not improve and this may lead to complications and death while on treatment,” he said.
In an effort to deal with the problem, the government has commissioned a national response team.
article was by Munesu Nyakudya
Zimbabwe formulates plan to deal with drug resistance - CCTV Africa - Strengthening news coverage in Africa
Health and Child Care deputy minister Aldrin Musiiwa noted the emerging cases of multiple drug resistance among TB and malaria patients. There has also been resistance to first or second line medicines for HIV, forcing us to change to more expensive medications,” he said.
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