At the “Antibiotic Resistance: Opportunities and Challenges” workshop organized by the Institute for Environmental Health and Sustainability (IEHSD) in collaboration with MSD Vietnam in Hanoi, recent speakers spoke about the misuse of antibiotics at all levels of the health system in aquaculture, livestock and society ; The misuse of antibiotics makes the problem of antibiotic resistance increasingly complex.
Ms Jennifer Cox, General Manager of MSD Vietnam, said antibiotic resistance is a major health issue that makes common infections difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the burden of disease and treatment costs, as well as the risk of death.
“Antibiotic resistance is a complex global problem that cannot be solved without close interdisciplinary collaboration. For the past 25 years, MSD has been committed to making a difference in antibiotic management through public-private partnership initiatives,” said Jennifer Cox.
Expert at the seminar. Picture by: MSD
The collaborative effort was also initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of the Global Antibiotic Resistance Awareness Week (November 18-24). The WHO recommends the One Health approach (also known as the One Health approach to human, animal and environmental health), which calls for coordinated, multisectoral action to slow the growth and spread of antibiotic resistance so that existing antibiotics remain effective for the long term. as much as possible.
In Viet Nam, in 2013, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, launched the National Action Program to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance. The program calls for cooperation in health, aquaculture and veterinary medicine to work together to rationalize the use of antibiotics and progressively improve antibiotic resistance.
Realizing the importance of joining forces to fight antibiotic resistance, since 2012, MSD has implemented an antibiotic management program at Cho Ray Hospital. As a result, antibiotic compliance increased by 14.5% and antibiotic use significantly decreased, resulting in a 1.3% decrease in the cost of antibiotics in 2015 compared to previous years. In 2020, MSD is partnering with the Department of Health to expand this program to 36 hospitals. To date, after more than 10 years of implementation, more than 46 hospitals have participated in the program.
Most healthcare facilities are facing an increase in multidrug-resistant bacterial strains that are resistant to many antibiotics, especially 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins, aminosides, and fluoroquinolones. In addition to the financial burden of long-term treatment, the Vietnamese also face the possibility of a future without effective antibiotics to treat certain infections, especially surgery and tissue transplants.
Source: https://www.247bulletins.com/health/15405.html