Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Camp
Aligarh : Subject experts imparted understanding of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) as a global public health concern that requires transdisciplinary and bio-social approaches in the ‘Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Camp’ of the Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit (IBU), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) at the ANM Training Centre, Banna Devi.
The programme, conducted under a DBT-sanctioned project, ‘Exploring Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) by OMICS (Bioinformatics, Genomics, and Proteomics,)-BIC Approaches’ had Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers as participants. Medical Officers and Health Care specialists also engaged in the programme.
Stressing the need for the awareness on the emergence of antibiotic resistance in the Country, Prof Asad U Khan (Principal Investigator of the DBT-sanctioned Project) emphasised: “AMR is a multifaceted complex problem with momentous consequences for individuals as well as health-care systems”.
He said: It is imperative to improve awareness, enhance surveillance measures, strengthen infection prevention and control, conduct research and development, promote investments, and do collaborative activities to control AMR.
Prof Asad discussed the challenges ahead such as varied perceptions about antibiotic use and AMR among key stakeholders, inappropriate antibiotic use owing to a number of reasons, lack of diagnostic facilities, widespread use of antibiotics in various sectors, environmental contamination because of pharmaceutical industry, agricultural and hospital waste, gaps in infection prevention and control, and difficulty in enforcing regulations.
Addressing the ASHA workers, the main speaker of the programme, Dr Ali Jafar Abedi (University Health Officer) placed emphasis on the prescription of the right antibiotics, only when needed.
He drew attention to the importance of hand and oral hygiene and advised the participants on proper nutrition and vaccines for preventing infections.
Dr Jafar Abedi warned that infections caused by drug-resistant organisms lead to increased mortality and prolonged duration of hospitalisation, causing a financial burden to the affected persons and health-care systems that can hinder the goals of sustainable development.
He urged the ASHA workers to pass the information on the proper way of storage and administration of antibiotics to the lengths and breadths of the Country.
In the introductory remarks, Dr Abdul Rehman (World Health Organisation) shared concerns on AMR as a critical public health problem, which can shake the foundation of modern health-care.
Prof Asad U Khan extended the vote of thanks.
Dr Yasir Bashir and Rais Hisham conducted the progarmme.