By Kuda Pembere
Zimbabwe has completed its revised edition of the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) One Health Action Plan, the Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said.
With assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development, as well as the Ministry of Environment spearheaded the process which began in May this year.
In addition to helping to build evidence-based policies and decisions, the review offers the chance to analyze procedures and indicators that could be used to achieve strategic objectives within the new plan, as well as to assess the impact of activities carried out over the last five years.
By relying on a thorough “One Health” approach and encouraging collaboration and coordination across sectors at the national level, updating the NAP will assist in identifying the essential measures to treat AMR.
Speaking during the official opening of the World Antimicrobial Awareness week campaign for Africa being held in Harare, the Health Minister said they will launch the revised edition soon.
Zimbabwe has just finalized the review very of the country’s antimicrobial resistance (AMR) One Health National Action Plan (NAP), whose second edition will be launched be launched soon,” Dr Mombeshora said.
Dr Tapfumanei Mashe said in this updated action plan they included the element of wildlife AMR.
World Food Programme representive in Zimbabwe Ms Francesca Erdelmann speaking on behalf of the United Nations Resident Coordinator Mr Edward Kallon said it multisectoral action was important to tackle AMR.
“It is crucial for us to take urgent multisectoral action to address this global health and development threat. Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials are major drivers in the development of drug-resistant pathogens.
“Inadequate access to clean water, lack of sanitation, and insufficient infection prevention and control measures further contribute to the spread of antimicrobial-resistant microbes,” Mr Kallon said.
Mr Kallon also noted that AMR is contributing to prolonged hospital stays as well as seeing people fork out more money to buy effective medicines.
“The economic cost of AMR is significant, with health complications resulting in longer hospital stays, increased expenses for medicines, and financial hardships for those affected. Without effective antimicrobials, the success of modern medicine in treating infections, including during major surgeries and cancer chemotherapy, would be at risk,” he said.
WHO-Africa Regional Director Dr Matshidiso Moeti whose speech was read by the Dr Lindiwe Makubalo, the Assistant Regional Director WHO Afro said in sub-Saharan Africa they found that drug resistance was rife in HIV medicines.
“We see emerging resistance to treatments for HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria, with extensive drug-resistant TB being reported in at least 100 countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, drug resistance to commonly used HIV medicines has been detected in almost 60% of cases,” she said. “The overuse and misuse of antimicrobial medicines leads to drug-resistant pathogens, endangering lives and hindering progress in modern medicine. It also undermines efforts to eliminate poverty, strengthen health systems, and achieve Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
She also explained that the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance are mainly due to the overuse and misuse of antimicrobial medicines which is further exacerbated by lack of awareness.
“Therefore, the World AMR Awareness Week affords us a perfect platform and opportunity to raise awareness among various stakeholders, including policymakers, professionals from various sectors, civil society, and communities, to build a united front to combat AMR,” Dr Moeti said.
She also bemoaned the scarce data on AMR as well as the weak surveillance systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Weak one-health governance and multisectoral coordination at the country level which is an Achilles heel to effective and sustainable implementation,
“Weak HealthCare systems due to limited infrastructure, material and human resources posing a significant obstacle to implementing AMR action plans.
“Unavailability of AMR representative data in over 40% of African countries, which limits our ability to put forward evidenced based policies and practice to effectively address AMR.
“Lack of sustainable domestic financing for AMR NAP implementation and disjointed systems for Supply and distribution of medicines, contributing to the infiltration of substandard and falsified medicines on the market. This coupled with weak/poorly enforced regulatory frameworks related to the use and sale of antimicrobial medicines,” she said.
Assistant Director General and regional representative for Africa at FAO Dr Dr Abebe Haile-Gabriel said if the scourge of AMR continues to be ignored, millions of Africans will be left in extreme poverty.
“Drivers of AMR in in the food and agriculture sector include unregulated antimicrobial sales in veterinary pharmacies, misuse of antimicrobials as growth promoters in the unsustainable intensification of livestock production, or as preventative medicine for diseases, unintended uses of medicated feed by farmers, the proliferation of poor-quality veterinary medicines, and poor farm biosecurity and disease prevention measures.
