Launching the communication week on prevention and control of antibiotic resistance

From November 16 to 22, 2015, the Antimicrobial Resistance Communication Week will take place nationwide - the first event held in Vietnam and will be maintained annually.

This information was given at the Workshop to launch and implement the communication week on prevention and control of drug resistance in the northern provinces and cities, organized by the Ministry of Health in coordination with the World Health Organization in Vietnam on October 26 in Hanoi.

Speaking at the workshop, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen said that antibiotic resistance is now a global problem, especially in developing countries. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people die due to antibiotic resistance and hundreds of billions of dollars are spent on antibiotic resistance. That is why the World Health Organization and other international organizations have pointed out that antibiotic resistance is a serious threat and challenge for future treatment.

The use of antibiotics is essential to treat patients. However, if antibiotics are used inappropriately, abused, treated with antibiotics when not suffering from infectious diseases... it will increase the drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria, creating a scarcity and shortage of new antibacterial drugs, especially antibiotics to treat patients infected with multi-resistant microorganisms.

(Illustration photo: VNA)

Therefore, the social and financial costs of treating drug-resistant infections are placing a significant burden on individuals, families and society due to long treatment times, poor prognosis and high risk of death.

The Antimicrobial Resistance Communication Week aims to attract and increase the attention of Party leaders, authorities, departments, sectors, unions, social organizations, health organizations, etc. on antimicrobial resistance prevention and control; raise awareness and implement measures to prevent and control antimicrobial resistance in healthcare, in the community, in agriculture, animal husbandry and in circulation on the market.

During the week of communication on antibiotic resistance prevention, in addition to organizing conferences and seminars on antibiotic resistance prevention and strengthening infection control, there will also be rallies, parades, and jogging in Hanoi and expected in some major cities and provinces such as Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Hue, Da Nang, Lam Dong, Dien Bien; at the same time, collecting 1 million signatures expressing commitment to preventing and combating antibiotic resistance in Vietnam.

On this occasion, the World Health Organization in Vietnam also created a fanpage on Facebook: Antibiotic Resistance Week 2015 - AMR Week 2015 Vietnam, to attract the community's attention to this important event./.

VNA/VIETNAM+