By Samuel Akumatey
Sogakope (V/R), March 11, GNA – The Sogakope community has been sensitised to preventing anti-microbial resistance (AMR) in living organisms.
The public education is part of nationwide efforts to address the weakening potency of antibiotic drugs.
Continuous drug misadministration is limiting the ability of organisms to react favourably to antibiotics, thereby challenging the fight against diseases.
Microbial resistance does not only affect humans and animals, but also plants, and stakeholders in a quadripartite that includes the WHO, FAO, and the UNEP, are targeting public education as a major means of addressing the challenge.
Dr Saviour Yevutsey, the National AMR Coordinator for the Ministry of Health, said most antibiotic drugs common to the county were leaving the shelves because organisms developed resistance to them, and that it was crucial for all to come on board to save the situation.
The public was asked to stay true to drug prescriptions as the overuse or underuse disrupted reaction cycles.
They were further educated against the disposal of unused medicines into the environment since the practice helped train living organisms to build natural resistance.
The public was made to understand the effects of the resistance, saying it prolonged healing times involving antibiotics and made medical care expensive.
A drama skit was presented to illustrate the risks using everyday scenarios, and it taught hygiene to prevent food contamination.
Dr. Yevutsey described the situation as a “silent pandemic,” and said the country was investing resources in controlling.
“Data shows that anti-microbial resistance is a serious issue in Ghana, and we are implementing interventions in one health approach – animals humans and the environment.
“AMR is real, and we are experiencing treatment failures as a result of the system. More drugs are being phased out,” he said, adding that as part of the interventions, farmers in all sectors were being trained on bio-security measures.
Dr Kofi Afakye, National Coordinator of the AMR Project at the FAO, said the quadripartite of agencies and organisations provided technical and financial support to enable countries to develop action plans and policies for the fight.
He said farmer-free schools were one of several interventions, with the poultry sector the priority presently as it remains the largest consumer of antibiotics.
Dr Afakye said the fish sector, particularly tilapia farming, would also become a focus and would be the plant cultivation industry.
He said a common AMR law for all sectors and industries was in the making, and that with ongoing community outreaches and industrial tours to pharmacies, agrochemical outlets, and markets, the fight should be seeing some remarkable progress.
Alberta Owusu Afriyie, a Veterinary Technologist at the National Veterinary Service Directorate said self-prescribed drug administration among livestock farmers was on the rise and asked the public to buy meat and related products from vet-approved services.
She also asked farmers to ensure biosecurity in animal care and consult with vet officers when butchering.
The public education campaign is on the theme “Preventing Anti-Microbial Resistance Together,” and a free health screening for several health conditions was organised on the side.
Beneficiaries, among others, were tested for HIV and received education on contraceptive use.
GNA