ZAMBIA PLANS ROBUST 'AMR' RESPONSE

By ANDREW PHIRI

File: L-R, Minister of Water and Sanitation, Royd Kaziya; 
Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya, Agriculture Minister 
Michael Katambo and AMR Focal person Otridah Kapona
during the launch of AMR Action Plan in Lusaka - 2017

MEDICATION, is critical in maintaining health as it is used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease, though it is currently inhibited by threatening increase of Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR).

 It is evident that AMR, which is the development of resistance in a microorganism such as bacteria, virus, fungus or parasite or to an antimicrobial agent to which it was previously sensitive requires urgent attention in Zambia.

The World Health Organisation admits AMR threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.

Antimicrobial treatment is a major lifesaving intervention for infectious diseases. These can also be extensively used in animal health, agriculture and the environment sectors.

One of the biggest contributors of AMR in the country and world over is the increasing and lack of effective controls in the use of antibiotics in the human health system, veterinary medicine, agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture.

Government of Zambia working with partners is in support a robust plan to address AMR said to be an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires action across all government sectors and society.

Recently, a multidisciplinary team met in Lusaka to chat the way forward in addressing AMR with representation from various sectors and institutions with the aim of developing an implementation plan for Zambia’s Multi-sectoral National Action plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.

This was in an effort to devise new approaches towards infectious diseases affecting human, animal and plant health through attention on Anti-Microbial Resistance.

Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary in charge of Technical Services Kennedy Malama guided through Public Health Director Dr Andrew Silumesii that there was need to adequately develop policies on the use of AMRs and one of the key strategies for reducing the emergence and spread of this resistance was optimizing the use of antimicrobials in human, animal, and plant health.

“Although intended for therapeutic use only in animals, antimicrobials, antibiotics in particular, are globally used for non-therapeutic purposes such as for growth promotion and mass disease prevention" said Dr Malama

He said Global guidance have emphasized the need for adequate policies to limit such non-therapeutic antibiotic use hence the need to adequately tackle the subject. 

Ministry of Health is working closely with Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, researchers and scientists from various institutions to put to halt this threat.  

Fisheries and Livestock Permanent Secretary David Shamulenge represented by Deputy Director of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Francis Mulenga to the team to prioritise investment into AMR research to help formulate informed policies.

In 2018, Zambia launched its first 10-year multi-sectoral antimicrobial resistance (AMR) National Action Plan following a One Health approach.

This was arrived at after a wide consultative process with line ministries and cooperating partners.  The plan aims to implement interventions across the key One Health sectors to fight AMR strategically and collaboratively.

The plan tagged at $17 million investment prioritised awareness and education, surveillance and research, infection prevention, sanitation and hygiene, optimising drug use and funding for research and development. ***