FG Initiates Action To Combat Drugs Resistance

From Left: Newly appointed ambassadors, Amb. Ben Amobi and Amb. Charles Cocodia with former Ambassador to Switzerland, Amb. Joseph Ayalogu at the induction course for new ambassadorial appointees in Abuja, last Tuesday.

The Federal Government has begun action to combat drug resistance or Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in health care services, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark this year’s celebration of the World Health Day in Abuja, Chukwu said the government and other partners had initiated actions to combat the ARMs in Nigeria.

“The Federal Government is providing money for the treatment of multidrug resistance TB to prevent its spread.

“Centres have been established in Ibadan, Calabar and Zaria where cases can be treated while new centres are also being developed in Lagos and Kano,’’ he said.

The minister said the Federal Government had launched the Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACTs) under the Affordable Malaria Facility Medicine to also boost malaria treatment.

“This is due to evidence that chloroquine resistant malaria abound and it has been found that when artemisinin is combined with other anti-malarials, it is far more effective,’’ Chukwu said.

He said that in HIV treatment, drug combination therapy was also encouraged to reduce resistance.

He said that in order to facilitate access to proper diagnosis and treatment, the government had decentralised treatment centres to the communities.

He pointed out that the challenges to ARM included inadequate diagnosis, inadequate commitment, weak surveillance of diseases, and poor drug quality, among others.

He commended the efforts of the WHO for giving the necessary global leadership in health care.

He assured Nigerians that the Ministry of Health would continue to collaborate and cooperate with stakeholders to ensure the effective use of antimicrobials.

The WHO country representative, Dr David Okello, in his speech, said the importance of the day was to let everyone know that there were efforts to curb the emergence of drug resistance.

He said that one of the consequences of the resistance was that more people would die or suffer prolonged illness.

Okello stressed that the causes of antimicrobial resistance cut across society and therefore called on the society to act now.

Our correspondent reports that the WHO made six recommendations to the minister to address the emerging threat to global health.

The theme of this year’s celebration which coincides with the WHO 65 years of existence is ‘Antimicrobial Resistance: No Action, No Cure Tomorrow’.

The celebration was witnessed by members of the international community, donor partners and stakeholders in the health sector.