Nigeria’s Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare has urged for more commitment to stem the tide of Antimicrobial resistance and safeguard the lives of Nigerians.
At the Innaguration of the National Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) TaskForce held in Abuja, Dr. Tunji Alausa also called for increased urgency by members of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Taskforce in the discharge of their duties.
These were contained in a statement signed by the Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations of the Ministry, Ado Bako.
The Minister said a multisectoral coordination and dedicated sector-specific approaches are needed to surmount challenges posed by Antimicrobial resistance, as contained in the statement.
According to the Minister, the innagurated TaskForce is purely to coordinate the usage of Antimicrobial in humans, with a view to improving the population health outcomes and the entire healthcare system in the country.
The taskforce brings together experts from healthcare and academia to implement the national action plan aimed at curbing the spread of Antimicrobial Resilience in Nigeria.
Relevant sub-committees created are expected to meet the targeted goals.
The innaguration of the taskforce marks the beginning of a coordinated and strategic response by government to tackle Antimicrobial resistance problem for the first time.
Presently, there are no Antimicrobial Stewardship program to monitor the pattern of Antimicrobials use and Antimicrobials sensitivity across the country. The Minister said it portends great danger that could lead to significant antimicrobial resistance issues that can contribute to high morbidity and mortality rate.
This gave rise to the need to set up the taskforce to have a national oversight, monitor and help provide guidance across the country on antimicrobial use that would be based sensitivity results for prudent antimicrobial usage.
Figures show that lives lost in 2019 reveals 64,000 deaths, were attributed to AMR, while 263,400 related to AMR, making AMR deaths higher than deaths from enteric infections, respiratory infections and tuberculosis, maternal and neonatal disorders, malaria, as well as cardiovascular diseases.
According to Dr. Alausa, the activities of the taskforce will be scooped around three themetic areas that include; Coordinating AMR surveillance and research activities in Nigeria – review existing data on AMR in Nigeria, align agencies supporting AMR surveillance and research in Nigeria and establish effective country wide surveillance.
Another thematic area is to create AMR data platform – establish an integrated digital information platform network to facilitate communication, coordination sharing and dissemination of information on AMR in Nigeria, support the establishment of facility basedAMS Programme in the public and private health sector and to establish State and Local Government Areas leadetship for AMR surveillance and AMS stewardship.
The third themetic area is to promote Enlightenment and education on AMR- promote awareness of AMR among the public and health providers, build capacity by training pediatric and adult infections diseases physicians and pharmacists and to develop strategies for engaging and training personnel at patent pharmacies.
The Taskforce National Coordinator, Dr. Omobosola Akinsete said they are committed and ready to deliver on the tasks assigned to them and called for the need to work together with healthcare professionals, researchers, the government, non governmental agencies to create a culture that extends beyond the walls of hospitals and clinics, reach into every community to create a healthier future for coming generations.
She promised to follow all the terms of reference of the Taskforce.
“We want to try to ensure implementation of AMS in all healthcare centers that are well equipped labs to help with diagnosis. We will assist with providing education to all providers in the chain of healthcare and making guidelines and antibiograms for different parts of the country.
“We will use the information gained from the survey and other work to build a framework that helps to prioritize the responsible use of antimicrobial and endures the health and safety of our population”, Dr. Akinsele said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daju Kachollom S.mni, while expressing delight at the inauguration of the Taskforce, said AMR is a threat to the Nigerian health, economic and social well being of Nigerians.
She reiterated that with the implementation of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, the country will make a difference. She urged the Taskforce to bring expertise and commit themselves to “this important National assignment”, in line with the terms of reference with a view to improving population health outcomes and build a resilient health system.