Ghana Celebrates World Antibiotic Awareness Week (WAAW)
FAO and One Health partners call for renewed focus on the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Environment have called for renewed focus on the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as the antimicrobials such as antibiotics are losing its efficacy in treating human and animal diseases.
Antimicrobial resistance happens when microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites change and become resistant to antimicrobial drugs like antibiotics to which they were originally susceptible. Different factors such as the misuse or overuse of antimicrobials in animals and humans and exposure to falsified drugs all contribute to AMR.
Improving awareness and understanding of AMR in Ghana
The National Launch of the World Antibiotic Awareness Week (WAAW) aims to increase global awareness of AMR and encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of AMR. Especially, the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, called on regulatory agencies to strengthen interventions where these malpractices are found.
The Minister said, “If not checked, the phenomenon could have dire consequences not only on the poor and vulnerable, but all levels of society. Thus, efforts at controlling and containing resistance have been designed from a broad perspective as well as within the framework of regional and global networking and information sharing”.
Agyeman-Manu added that he is confident that Ghana is well positioned to help in the fight of this global menace.
The National Project Coordinator for Antimicrobial Resistance at FAO, Kofi Afakye, who spoke on behalf of the Deputy Regional Representative and Officer-in-Charge of the FAO Representation in Ghana, observed that Studies on antimicrobial usage (AMU) behaviour change among poultry farmers in Ghana indicate that knowledge in AMR alone does not bring about behaviour change in populations. Thus, global and national AMR plans need to include behavior change to be really effective.
Mr. Afakye reiterated FAO’s commitment to work hand-in-hand with the Government of Ghana and AMR Platform to bring awareness on AMR and AMU to the doorsteps of all stakeholders and the general public for successful implementation of the NAP.
The WHO Representative to Ghana Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo said, “Working together, and taking a holistic approach to safeguarding antimicrobials, will help to ensure that we can all look forward to a healthier future”.
She urged the media to carry AMR themes in their health reports to sustain the awareness creation drive. She also urged the Government of Ghana to fund fully National Plans, strengthen AMR governance, facilitate multisectoral collaboration, and increase access to clean water and sanitation.
Ghana National Action Plan to combat Antimicrobial Resistance
In Ghana, through the support of FAO in collaboration with its one-health partners, the country is implementing a National AMR Action Plan (NAP) that was launched in 2018 to combat AMR at a multi-sectoral approach.
The Ghana National Action Plan (NAP) was developed based on the model recommended in the global Action Plan. Local data on on-going interventions were collected from technical informants in the various areas of work. These were analysed using the policy framework provided by the AMR policy document. Interventions were developed to address gaps in all five objectives of the global Action Plan. Further consultations were done to ensure that the recommended interventions were feasible, valid and relevant within the systemic contexts pertaining to the various affected sectors.
Improving awareness and understanding of AMR through effective communication to empower and enable stakeholder action on AMR is foundational to the successful implementation of the Ghana NAP.
Who should care and why?
AMR is everyone’s business. When AMR worsens, people and livestock will be more exposed to the impacts of disease and pests, affecting both health and food security.
Human and animal medicines will become ineffective and infections will persist in the bodies, increasing the risk of spread to other people or animals. Especially in case of mass pandemics, livelihoods will become vulnerable.