2023-11-19 13:47:51
The Secretary General of the National Council of the Order of Pharmacists of Tunisia (CNOPT), Souraya Neifer, estimated that antibiotic resistance or antibiotic resistance constitutes, today, one of the most serious threats weighing on health, safety food and development.
She recalled, in a statement to TAP, that the CNOPT engaged with a group of partners to develop a national action plan to combat antimicrobial resistance for the five-year period 2019-2023 which was suspended for two years due to Covid-19, but some objectives have been achieved.
She added that the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that if no action is taken, millions of deaths each year could be attributed to diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria by 2050. .
According to the WHO, antimicrobial resistance poses a growing threat to health and undermines development. It requires urgent action across multiple sectors to ensure that the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not compromised.
According to the WHO, antimicrobial resistance was one of the 10 biggest public health threats facing humanity. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials is the main factor leading to the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens.
The cost of antimicrobial resistance to the economy is considerable. In addition to death and disability, the longer duration of illness results in longer hospital stays, the need for more expensive medications and financial hardship for those affected. Without effective antimicrobials, modern medicine’s success in treating infections, including surgery and cancer chemotherapy, would be jeopardized.
The official said that the CNOPT has re-engaged with the ministries of health, agriculture and water resources, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the international organization of animal health and the world health organization in the national antimicrobial resistance development 2019-2023 to combat the spread of antibiotic resistance at all levels.
She indicated that the plan has succeeded in reducing the risks of these bacteria at the human level and is working to limit antibiotic resistance in animals treated with antibiotics without supervision, sold in an anarchic manner and whose origin is unknown. Bacteria resistant to antibiotics can therefore be transmitted to humans by ingestion of contaminated food during the food production chain, or by direct contact with animals.
Neifer welcomed the existence of a legislative framework that regulates distribution circuits, calling for avoiding self-medication, expanding social coverage and following preventive measures.
She called for preserving the effectiveness of existing molecules, because laboratories do not currently or in the years to come have new antibiotic molecules.
The CNOPT, she said, has scheduled continuing education for pharmacists in 2024 on the theme of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the rationalization of the use of antibiotics.
Antibiotics are medications used to treat and prevent bacterial infections. Resistance occurs when bacteria evolve in response to the use of these drugs. It is bacteria, not humans or animals, that become resistant.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria cause illnesses that are difficult to treat and sometimes fatal
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