NCDC leads stakeholders to raise awareness against antimicrobial resistance

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), in collaboration with Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), stakeholders in Abuja, took over the streets of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), to raise public awareness on AMR.

This was to commemorate the 2021 World Antibiotics Awareness Week (WAAW), which takes place from Nov. 18th – 24th every year.

The overarching slogan of WAAW continues to be Antimicrobials: Handle with Care. However, this year’s theme of WAAW 2021 is “Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance” which calls on One Health stakeholders, policymakers, healthcare providers and the general public to be AMR Awareness champions.

AMR is a global public health threat today and one that has been recognised as a silent pandemic. More and more antibiotics are becoming ineffective and infectious diseases are becoming difficult to treat due to this phenomenon.

The Antimicrobial Resistance Programme Coordinator, NCDC, Dr Abiodun Egwuenu, at the awareness campaign told the people at the Garki village, FCT, that inappropriate use of antibiotics was creating a huge threat to
their health and their communities.

According to her: “there were many factors that have accelerated the threat of AMR worldwide, including overuse and misuse of medicines in humans, livestock and agriculture, as well as poor access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene.

“By taking antibiotics when we do not need them, we increase the chances of bacteria becoming resistant to the medication and then, when we really need it, those antibiotics will not be effective.

“This can lead to an increase in hospitalizations, due to the need for IV antibiotics, or even increased chances of death”.

Egwuenu further expressed that It was important that they protect themselves and their family, by only taking antibiotics that were prescribed by their health provider.

“Sharing antibiotics or taking leftover medications from a previous illness is never advised by any doctor”

Egwuenu emphasized that there were rules to follow to avoid misuse of antibiotics, which is “Do not take somebody else’s antibiotics.

“Any prescribed antibiotic should be finished without any being left over. Also, be aware that antibiotics are not going to help for all sickness”.

“Vaccination still remains the key to any infection of humans and animals, when we get vaccinated, we are reducing the use of antibiotics”.

The Deputy Project Director Risk Communication, Breakthrough Action Nigeria, Dr Olayinka Umar-Farouk, also stressed that antibiotics were powerful drugs that help the bodies ward off diseases caused by bacteria.

“When used appropriately, they quickly and effectively eliminate infections, causing us to feel better in a matter of days. However, when used to treat other health conditions, antibiotics are not only ineffective but can be harmful to our overall health,” Umar-Farouk noted.

She also said that according to a growing body of research, the more people take antibiotics to cure bacterial infections, the more their bodies build resistance, which wipes out their effectiveness in making them well.

Umar- Farouk disclosed that USAID and Breakthrough Action Nigeria supports the Global Health Security Agenda of which Antimicrobial Resistance was an area of focus.

“With our expertise in risk communication and social behaviour change we are happy to support The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), NCDC and other partners in celebrating the 2021 Antimicrobial Awareness Week.

“This week will be used to draw attention to how we can all play a part to protect humanity from this public health threat that is limiting our ability to treat common infections.

“I enjoin everyone to use their networks to increase knowledge about Antimicrobial Resistance by participating in the campaign: SPREAD AWARENESS and STOP RESISTANCE,” she advised.

The antibiotics awareness week began with the Awareness Walk where the staff of the NCDC, FMARD, NGOs and Garki community marched through the streets creating awareness and distributing flyers to those they met along the way and in the market.

The awareness also included talks on the importance of hand hygiene as a preventive measure.

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