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- Dr Najiba M Abdulrazzaq: Antibacterial resistance to antibiotics will be the leading cause of death in 2050
UAE, Dubai: The National Committee of AMR organized the 2nd UAE's International Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (ICAMR) 2019, at Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre to shed the light on the latest developments in antibiotic resistance research and practices.
Held under the patronage of HE Dr Abdulrahman bin Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention on March 21st-22nd, the two-day conference hosted a series of lectures, interactive discussions and workshops run and presented by renowned specialists and experts. The conference also discussed the latest developments in communicable diseases, their resistance to antibiotics and granted the participants an opportunity to share the most recent information on infectious disease and infection control.
Present at the conference were HE Dr. Hussein Abdulrahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centers and Clinics, MOHAP, and Chairman of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Committee, Abdul Razzaq Amiri, Director of Al Kuwait Hospital and Dr Najiba M Abdulrazzaq, Head of the Infection Prevention and Control Central Committee at the Ministry of Health in Dubai.
Representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the OIE-World Organisation for Animal Health, participated in the conference along with an elite group of experts, researchers, doctors and specialists in infectious diseases and infection control.
Cabinet decision banning antibiotics without prescription
Stressing the importance of the conference, Dr Hussein Al Rand said that ICAMR offered a perfect opportunity for leading health sector leaders, experts and consultants to review the latest global antimicrobial practices, discuss recent global strategies and develop sustainable solutions to tackle antimicrobial problems.
Al Rand lauded the cabinet law issued against buying antibiotics without prescription and said the UAE has Introduced the latest state-of-the-art antibiotics to bacteria- resistant, becoming the world’s third country to register bacteria- resistant antibiotics after being approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Decreased use of antibiotics by 43%
The ministry’s relentless efforts being made in cooperation with relevant public and private health bodies have resulted in reducing the use of antibiotics by 43%, according to recent studies conducted at Sheikh Khalifa Hospital in Abu Dhabi, Al Rand further said.
He lauded the pivotal role being played by the National Committee of AMR in cooperation with all UAE health authorities as well as private hospitals, Ministry of Climate Change Environment, Dubai Municipality and Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.
National Committee of AMR Action Plan
For her part, Dr Najiba Abdulrazzaq said that the conference has discussed a wide spectrum of topics including the regional and national AMR action plan, antimicrobial stewardship program, multidrug resistance organisms’ surveillance, infection prevention and control program management and prevention of healthcare associated infections.
The conference has also addressed other topics such as occupational health issues for infection prevention, environmental disinfection in healthcare setting, advances in microbiology detection as well as the national reference laboratory and role of IT in ASP.
High treatment costs due to microbes’ resistance to antibiotics
She noted that resistance of microbes to antibiotics is one of the greatest risks to global health and food security due to the misuse of antibiotics when given to humans and animals. This has led the treatment of increased infection to be less effective owning to the loss of antibiotics efficiency, which would lead to longer stay in hospitals, high medical costs, increased mortality.
In addition, it has become very likely that antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics would be the top leading cause of death in 2050.
Dr. Abdulrazzaq went on to say that the conference has targeted a number of specialties including infection disease physicians, internal medicine physicians, microbiologist, pharmacists, infection control practitioners, critical care physicians, lab technicians, quality officers, public health officers, internal medicine specialists, family and primary care physicians, medical informatics, nurses, nurse practitioners, researchers, biomedical engineers, hospital and corporate administrators and executives
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