Abuse of antimicrobial medicine in Siaya county has been identified as a major contributor to increased mortality rate in the region.
According to the county director of medical services Dr Achieng Fwaya, the abuse of antimicrobials has led to increased drug resistance among patients resulting into high mortality rates.
Speaking during the launch of World Antimicrobial resistance week, Dr Fwaya revealed that globally ,about 1.3 million lives are lost annually as a result of antimicrobial resistance related deaths with the number expected to rise if action is not taken to reverse the trend.
Dr Fwaya disclosed throughout the campaign week, focus will be on sensitisation of the public on the safe use of antibiotics in the treatment of human, animals and plants in all parts of the county.
“As the people who use the environment, we contribute to resistance of microbial medicines. We must act now to protect our present and secure our future through sensitising the public of proper use of medicine,” said Dr Achieng.
The World Antimicrobial Resistance week in Siaya will be marked between November 17 and 24, where patients and the general public will be reached with messages on proper drug use through face to face and social media sensitisation strategies.
The county director of medical services was flanked by the chair of Siaya county antimicrobial stewardship committee Dr Caleb Okoth who observed that antimicrobial resistance has become a silent killer because diseases which were previously curable fail to respond to drugs.
Okoth said that because of underdosage in both human and animals especially through drugs purchased over the counter, drug resistant strains have emerged and can be passed from animals to humans or from plants to human posing health risks.
He observed that the fight against antimicrobial resistance requires concerted efforts from everyone in society to support health, environment and Agriculture sectors that are the primary users of antimicrobials to reverse the trend.
Okoth on the other hand urged members of the public to desists from the habit of over the counter purchase of drugs without prescription and also ensure they finish their doses to avert drug resistance.
by Brian Ondeng
