The misuse of antimicrobial drugs including antibiotics, antifungals and antiparasitic in Ghana is fueling alarming levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) reducing the effectiveness of drugs to cure infectious diseases in the country.
The situation is having a devastating impact on health, economy, and threatening food security.
Experts say the high levels of antimicrobial resistance in the country is complicating the treatment of infections in humans, animals and plants resulting in more deaths.
Antimicrobial Resistance occurs when bacterial, fungi, viruses and parasites change over time and no longer respond to antimicrobial drugs making treatment of infections difficult increasing the risk of spread, deteriorating health conditions and causing deaths.
According to World Health Organization, WHO, drug resistance diseases already cause an estimated 700,000 deaths annually worldwide. The figure is predicted to reach 10 million by 2050 if collaborative and multi-sectoral action is not taken to stop the misuse of antimicrobial drugs in humans, crops and livestock production particularly poultry.
Speaking to the media Wednesday, November 17, 2021, after a two-day training workshop for some selected journalists on Communicating Information on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Antimicrobial Use (AMU) in Koforidua, the Head of Antimicrobial Resistance Secretariat at Ghana’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Savior Yevutse said, research conducted in Ghana reveals high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in “our facilities, the communities so the Ministry of Health together with World Health Organization, the FAO, and OIE have all agreed that there should be a policy to curb the menace of antimicrobial resistance so Ghana has done that.
“We have a national Action Plan on how to tackle this issue. So far we have started the implementations, we are doing surveillance of resistance in the hospitals, we are getting data that is showing that specifically bloodstream infections there is a high prevalence of resistance and also in hospitals, we are getting infections from the hospital environment “
Dr Yevutse, said inadequate knowledge and low-level awareness about the consequences of the misuse and abuse of antibiotics, wrong perceptions about the magic of antimicrobial in humans, and weak regulations and control by drug regulatory agencies increase Ghana’s vulnerability therefore urged the media to help create awareness on the menace.
Dr. Kofi Afakye of the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, revealed that studies in Ghana have found antibiotic residues in chicken, pork, beef and eggs. He added that bacterial resistant ampicillin, tetracycline, penicillin, erythromycin have also been found between 67% to 97% of sampled animals.
He stated that ”the study discovered that more than 60% of poultry farmers give antibiotics to Day-old Chicks. Most farmers use antibiotics when the animals are not sick. About 98% of farmers do not observe withdrawal period”
Dr. Afakye stressed that, consumption of antimicrobial in the livestock sector in 2010 was 63,152 tones and that global use of antibiotics in livestock will rise by 67 per cent by 2030 to 105,596 tons posing a danger of increasing antimicrobial resistance in both humans, animals and plants.
Meanwhile, Ghana has joined the rest of the world to observe World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) celebrated from 18-24 November every year. The theme for this year is: “Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance“. It calls on One Health Stakeholders, Policymakers, health care providers, the general public to be Antimicrobial Resistance ambassadors.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah