Call issued for National Plan of Action on Antibiotic Resistance

Dr. Osbil Watson, Chief Veterinary Officer at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, speaking at the Antibiotic Awareness Week Opening Ceremony held at the University of the West Indies, Mona on November 14. Others from left are Sancia Bennett-Templer, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health; Dr. Allison Nicholson, UWI; and Dr. Kam Mung of PAHO/WHO.

Sounding a “breaking news” warning against the widespread abuse of antibiotics, which has led to an increase in antibiotic resistance, Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the UWI, Mona, Dr Tomlin Paul, has issued a call for a comprehensive national plan of action to address public misuse of antimicrobial drugs.
Dr Paul issued the call at the local launch of World Antibiotic Awareness Week held Tuesday, November 14 at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters at Mona.
The dean of the medical faculty said the current threat posed by the misuse of antibiotics and the resulting resistance to its effectiveness, “was shaping up to be a crisis of epic proportions” and had become a global priority.
This matter was no “fake news”, but instead “breaking news” that required a multifaceted approach to ensure that citizens were informed, Dr Paul said.
Meanwhile, for his part, Dr. Kam Mung of PAHO/WHO underscored that resistance to antibiotics was one of the biggest threats to global health and was now manifesting itself in the occurrence of superbugs as in the cases of tuberculosis and malaria.
Dr Mung lauded the work currently being spearheaded by the Jamaica Antimicrobial Resistance Technical Working Group in creating public awareness about the risks of antibiotic misuse and abuse, giving rise to resistant bacteria. He said that based on Jamaica’s track record in managing and even eradicating diseases such as polio, measles and rubella, PAHO/WHO was confident that the aim to manage the threat posed by resistance to antibiotics was achievable.
In his remarks, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Winston De La Haye, who chaired the function, pointed out that between 20 to 50 per cent of the antibiotics prescribed in Jamaica was unnecessary, while Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Osbil Watson, underscored the importance of embracing the ‘one health concept’, which recognised the inextricable link between the environment, animal and human health.
Dr. Watson noted that some 60 per cent of human diseases were of animal origin and emphasized that antibiotics should not be used as growth promoters in animal production but be used responsibly and under veterinary supervision.
The Veterinary Services Division, he says, is working with all stakeholders to ensure that Jamaica’s animal health, welfare, food safety and the environment are safeguarded in the fight to reduce antibiotic resistance.
Jamaica has joined countries across the globe in observing World Antibiotic Resistance Awareness Week, November 13 to 19, to highlight the growing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics as a result of the overuse of the drugs.
The week of activities has been organised by the Jamaica Antimicrobial Resistance Technical Working Group in collaboration with PAHO/WHO.
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