A pharmaceutical microbiology expert, Prof. Iruka Okeke, on Wednesday, called for increased awareness and action on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Nigeria.
She made the call in an interview in Lagos, on the sidelines of a workshop on “Lessons Learned For Antimicrobial Resistance (LL4ARM).”
She said AMR is a public health emergency that requires multi-stakeholder approach to address.
Okeke said that the UN General Assembly had tasked the Quadripartite, a set of four health and animal-related agencies, to convene a panel to provide policy direction on AMR, noting that “the Lagos
meeting is part of the process to inform the design and commissioning of the panel.
“In Nigeria, AMR is a significant public health challenge. While the country has a national action plan on AMR, implementation has been slow, and more needs to be done to address the issue.
“To effectively address AMR, there is need for increased awareness, improved surveillance and better stewardship of antimicrobials.”
Okeke also emphasised the importance of infection prevention and control measures, such as hand washing and vaccination.
According to her, the panel’s work will inform the Quadripartite’s roadmap, expected to be established by December.
In her recommendations, Okeke highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing AMR in Nigeria and globally.
She said “with the establishment of the panel, there is hope that effective strategies will be developed to combat this growing public health threat.”
Also, the Boston University School of Law, Prof. Kevin Outterson said the new global science panel is being established to address the growing threat of AMR.
Outterson said that the panel, similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, would focus on resistance in bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms.
He said “we realise that AMR is a bigger problem than we knew, and it is not just bacteria, it is viruses.
“The goal of all these efforts is to make sure we have the medicines we need so we don’t waste them, that resistance comes slowly, but we are protected from all microbial threats
“The panel will bring together experts from various fields to identify effective strategies to addressing AMR.”
According to him, a meeting in Lagos discussed lessons learned from existing science panels and how to apply them.
He said that in May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) would deliver a report on the proposed panel’s structure and functions.
Outterson said that the report would be informed by the conclusions of the Lagos meeting, which aimed to influence governments’ decisions on the panel’s design and operations.
He said that the panel’s work would focus on ensuring continued effectiveness of medicines and preventing the spread of resistant microorganisms.
LL4ARM was jointly organised by Nigeria Academy of Science, U.S. National Academy of Medicine and Boston University.
NAN
