Singapore creates national action plan against antimicrobial resistance
As more and more Singaporeans use antibiotics as a quick fix for their ailments, the country’s governmentaims to tackle the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the country with the development a national action plan.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) said it is working with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), the National Environment Agency, and the National University of Singapore (NUS) to develop a nationwide strategy for antimicrobial resistance in the country.
The plan could include educating the public on which illnesses should or should not be treated with antibiotics, and stepping up the monitoring of their use.
Antimicrobial resistance refers to the ability of microbes such as bacteria and viruses to resist the effects of medicines that were previously able to kill them.These microbes develop resistance to antimicrobial medicines when the latter are overused or misused.
Dr. Hsu Li Yang, associate professor and program leader of the antimicrobial resistance program at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health in NUS, said: “We are ‘addicted’ to antibiotics – it has become an integral part of human medicine and the livestock industry.”
The more antibiotics a person takes, the more pressure there is for the bacteria to evolve and become resistant, he added.
While the ministry did not provide details of the action plan, it is likely to be close to recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO) to tackle antimicrobial resistance.
Besides targeting human medicine, the recommendations also focus on the use of antibiotics in livestock.This could mean examining the use of antibiotics in Singapore’s farms.The AVA currently has a surveillance program which tests for antibiotic residues in locally farmed produce to ensure food safety.
Infectious diseases specialist Paul Tambyah said a comprehensive approach is needed as antibiotics are used far more in agriculture than in human clinics and hospitals.
Bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics – including those found in livestock – can pass their resistance genes to others in the gut once the meat is consumed, especially if it is not cooked properly.
As for human medicine, Dr.Tambyah said better methods to diagnose ailments are needed so that doctors can target antibiotic treatment at people who actually need it.
The MOH currently has guidelines for doctors on the prescription of antibiotics, although they are not mandatory.
The rise of deadly superbugs rendering even the strongest of antibiotics ineffective is causing widespread concern around the world.
In September, world leaders agreed at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to develop action plans that would curb the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance.It was only the fourth time in UN history that a health topic was discussed at the assembly, with the Ebola virus being among them.
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
