By Prosper K. Kuorsoh, GNA Special
Correspondent, Lusaka, Zambia, courtesy Centre for Science and Environment,
India
Lusaka, Jan. 23, GNA-Dr Chitalu Chilufya, the
Zambia Minister of Health has called on African Nations to expedite action on
the development of the National Action Plans (NAPs) for Antimicrobial
Resistance (AMR).
This, he said would pave way for the execution
of the plans in order to combat the great threat posed by AMR to humanity in
order to safeguard public health security.
Dr Chilufya made the call during the opening
of a three-day workshop dubbed “Pan-Africa Workshop on Effective Implementation
of National Action Plans on Antimicrobial Resistance”.
The workshop which was jointly organised by
Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Zambia and Centre
for Science and Environment (CSE), India brought together participants from 11
countries including; Zambia and India.
The objective is to discuss the threat of AMR
to humans, animals and the environment; its spread, and impact in Africa and to
understand the implementation of the NAPs on AMR.
Dr Chilufya said AMR, which was a by-product
of the abuse and misuse of antibiotics by the public, posed a greater threat to
public health security and challenged their aspirations for universal health
coverage.
The Minister of Health said resistant
pathogens were traveling across international borders through human beings,
animals, the environment and food, while also impacting negatively on food
security and sustainable development, thereby making everyone vulnerable.
Dr Chilufya who highlighted the need for
African governments to invest in resilient public health systems, particularly
prioritizing AMR, also urged the media to help educate the public to stop the
abuse and misuse of antibiotics.
He said the workshop was therefore important
to the healthcare of African citizens and thanked CSE and other partners for
making it possible.
Mr Amit Khurana, Director, Food Safety and
Toxins Programme, CSE, India, noted that containing AMR would be critical for
nations of the global south, stressing that “We will have to be innovative in
the way we manage the issue of access and excess of antibiotics as more people
still suffer from lack of antibiotics”.
He also called for caution in the production of
food and management of waste, adding that they could not afford to allow misuse
of antibiotics and chemicals first, and then spend a lot to clean it up from
their food and environment.
“We need not travel the same curve as
developed nations and must use greater discretion. The global success to
contain AMR will hugely depend on how we handle it”, said Mr Khurana.
Mr Ngulkham Jathom Gangte, the Indian High
Commissioner to Zambia noted that AMR was a challenge man would ignore at its
own peril.
He emphasised that the ability of organisms to
resist antimicrobial treatment especially antibiotics had a direct impact on
human and animal health and carried a heavy economic burden due to high cost of
treatment, and reduced productivity caused by prolonged sickness.
He therefore noted that effective
collaboration between CSE and other partners and stakeholders would help in
focusing the various country guidelines in the quest to reduce inappropriate
use of antibiotics among the public.
The workshop witnessed the launch of four key
reports including; “Road Map to Phase out Non-Therapeutic Antibiotic Use and
Critically Important Antibiotics in Food-Animals in Zambia”, “Baseline
Information for Integrated Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance in Zambia”,
“Zambia’s Multi-Sectoral National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance”, and
Zambia’s Integrated Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Framework”.
To highlight the importance of creating
awareness among people, CSE also released a special issue of Down To Earth
Magazine with a special coverage of AMR in Africa and Asia which was
co-authored by six African journalists from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South
Africa, Zambia and Uganda and two from Asia namely, India and China.
The two continents contribute more than 88 per
cent deaths due to AMR globally.
GNA