Group Seeks Govt’s Commitment On AIDS, TB Treatment

An Abuja-based Health
Non-governmental organization (NGO), the Viva Health Foundation, has appealed for strong government’s commitment to mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance threatening the treatment of AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria.
Lead Advocate of the Foundation, Dr. Stella Agbim while speaking to newsmen, recently noted that there had been an increase in antibiotic resistance which she said has posed challenges in the treatment of the diseases and stressed the need for government’s embrace of greater innovations and investment in research and development of new antimicrobial medicines, vaccines and diagnostic tools to address the challenge.
Agbim stated that the resistance also slowed the gains against childhood dysentery and pneumonia, maintaining that the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) threatens the effectiveness of successful treatment of infections.
Agbim who revealed that the AMR frequently occurs in micro organisms that are likely to be transmitted in the community such as organisms causing pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis (TB), sexually transmitted diseases and malaria said that the resistance was a threat on the effective prevention and treatment of an increasing range of infections and infectious diseases caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.
She said “this is a public health issue with national and global dimensions. The threat of AMR is an increasingly serious global health challenge that requires action across all government, private sectors and the society at large”.
Agbim continued “if antibiotics are not effectively administered, or where they are resisted, the success of major surgery and cancer chemotherapy will be grossly compromised. This makes the cost of healthcare more expensive and complex for patients with resistant infections because the duration of illness is longer and entails additional test and use of more expensive drugs.”

Lady Godknows Ogbulu