Chief Executive, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ( NCDC ), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, says the spread of resistance to antibiotics in several microorganisms is complicating management of many infectious diseases.
Addressing newsmen on the ‘2017 Antibiotics Awareness Week’ on Wednesday in Abuja, Ihekweazu said that the situation was adversely affecting the functioning of human and animal health systems.
“The consequences of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) are serious as resistant microbes fail to respond to standard treatment.
“This is resulting in prolonged illness, infectiousness, increased spread of disease, extended hospital stays and greater risk of death.
“Developing countries, in the face of limited resources and their greater disease burden, will suffer more than the developed ones,’’ Ihekweazu said.
According to him, AMR is decreasing the usefulness of modern medical technologies and jeopardises both common and complex surgical procedures.
In addition to this jeopardy, AMR is also endangering animal health and welfare as well as food production, Ihekweazu said.
He said that it was projected that 10 million people will die annually from AMR by 2050 if current trends are unabated.
He noted that the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance was on the increase with little or no support for research into the production of new medicines.
“We need to sustain our response at reducing the burden of AMR and its associated implications.
“Nigerians should play key roles as we take up the message and awareness creation on the rational and judicious use of antibiotics in the country,’’ he said.
Ihekweazu said antibiotics have saved millions of lives and reduced disease burden, adding that modern human and veterinary medicine was built on access to effective antimicrobials.
According to him, antibiotics have improved quality of life, contributed to improved food production and helped increase life expectancy.
Omotayo Hamzat, WHO expert on Essential Drugs and Medicine, said that the world body recognised that antibiotics resistance was becoming a global challenge that needed to be addressed.
Hamzat said that without tackling anti-drugs resistance, it might be difficult to meet the Sustainable Development Goals in the health sector.
The awareness week is celebrated annually between Nov. 13 and Nov. 19.
Hamzat noted that the celebration was aimed at making antibiotic resistance a globally recognised health issue.
It is also aimed at increasing and recognising the roles that individuals, health and agriculture professionals as well as governments must play in tackling antibiotic resistance.
NAN
