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The Project Coordinator for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) at the Food and Agriculture Organization Ghana Dr. Kofi Afakye has aired his concern on the rapid increase of the effects of the misuse of antimicrobials which to him endangers the environment and all that dwell therein.
During a 2 day training workshop for media professionals in communicating information on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial use (AMU) held at Koforidua in the Eastern Region, Dr. Afakye explained that AMR is the resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial which causes the originally effective drug to be ineffective for treatment of infections caused by the microbe; adding that though, resistance being a natural phenomenon is slow, the rate is accelerated by some actions of human such as giving drugs to healthy animals for disease prevention, giving drugs to healthy poultry to promote growth and*egg-laying capacity in order to widen the profit net, and serve as catalysts to endangering human, animal and environmental health .
Dr. Kofi Afakye further disclosed that the global use of antimicrobials in the agricultural sector alone is estimated to be 60,000 tons annually which is even expected to increase as population increases, adding that ineffective and prolonged treatment of diseases, high mortalities, decreased production and productivity, poor health and livelihood, drain on economy, and poverty are some consequences of AMR in agriculture.
On his part, the Head of AMR Secretariat at the Ministry of Health Dr. Saviour Kwame Yevutse stressed on the need to intensify the awareness on the effects of the misuse of antimicrobials as one would need very expensive antibiotics for treatment of common infections, should they come into contact with a resistant bacteria.
”From research that has been done in Ghana so far, there is a high prevalence of AMR in our health facilities and the community at large. As a result of this, the Ministry of Health together with the WHO, FAO, and the OIE have all agreed to have a policy to curb this menace, of which Ghana has taken a lead”, he said.
”One must refrain from touching objects at the hospitals and also stop their children from walking at the hospital floor as the child could pick very serious infections which might be costly in treating”, Dr. Saviour Kwame Yevutse told the gathering.
Source: MyGhanaMedia.com / Mr. Odiamono Kwaku Gyimah
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