THE government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring safe food production – specifically in the face of rapidly growing anti-microbial drug resistance posing serious threat to public health and sustainable food production.
Global figures show around 700,000 people die each year to related anti-microbial resistance (AMR), according to World Health Organization (WHO), citing what it calls “the ability of microorganism such as bacteria, virus or parasites to resist the effects of medication (antimicrobial) previously used to treat them.”
Such unsuccessful treatment to infections leads to increased mortality or prolonged illness, production losses and food insecurity.
“As part of the global community we need to address this problem of antimicrobial resistance timely and effectively,” Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, William Ole Nasha said at the launch of food safety and prevention of AMR project here.
He acknowledged that microorganisms were turning into a huge threat to the nation development plans ‘and must be eradicated’. The deputy minister said already a national action plan on AMR had been developed in line with the global action plan, and that the existence of such ‘stubborn’ microorganisms was often a result of misuse of the antimicrobial drugs themselves -- mostly used along the food production chain.
However, experts say excessive and misuse of ‘antimicrobials’ was a result of inadequate regulation and oversight use. Still, the availability of counterfeit or poor quality antimicrobials and poor therapy adherence was also to blame.
Launching the project aimed at curbing antimicrobial resistance using the One Health Approach, or the Fleming Fund -- Phase II -- supported by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Mr Nasha noted some of the drugs which were previously used are now ineffective.
FAO Representative, Fred Kafeero announced the new partnership with the government, saying it would help develop capacity for surveillance and monitoring of AMR in food and agriculture.
“It is well known that resistance arising in the food and agriculture sectors can spread to humans through food and environmental contamination. This is therefore one of the greatest global threats to global public health and food security and will remain so if urgent steps are not taken to minimize the growth and spread,” he said.
Credit : Dailynews
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