The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Hamad Medical Corpo-ration (HMC) and the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) are participating in the cele-bration of the Global Antimi-crobial Awareness Week, from November 18 to 24, under the slogan “Spread awareness, Stop resistance”.
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week aims to raise awareness of the risks of antimi-crobial resistance at global, regional, and local levels, and encourage the application of best practices among the public, poli-cymakers, workers at the field of human and animal health as well as in other related sectors.
This is in addition to helping to reduce incorrect consumption and maintaining the effectiveness of antibiotics for as long as pos-sible, so that those who need them can get the best possible treatment.
On this occasion Dr. Abdul Latif Al Khal, Chair of the National Antimicrobial Resistant Com-mittee, at MoPH and Head of Infectious Diseases at HMC, said: “Antibiotic resistance is an important global public health challenge and threatens our ability to treat infectious diseases. Without effective antimicrobials, the success of modern medicine in treating infections, including during major surgery and cancer chemotherapy, would be at increased risk.
Dr Alkhal said, “The National Antimicrobial Resistant Com-mittee is playing an effective role and leading in improving the practices of workers in the health sector and other related sectors in order to optimise the proper use of antimicrobials, raise awareness around the increasing of antimicrobial resistance, as well as take all actions necessary to achieve the related WHO’s Sus-tainable Development Goals.”
Huda Amer Al Katheeri, Director of the Strategic Planning and Performance Department at MoPH said: ”Celebrating the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week highlights the importance of supporting efforts to increase the optimal use of antimicrobials at hospitals, healthcare settings and other sectors with appro-priate medical supervision, noting that antimicrobial resistance makes it more difficult to treat common infections and accel-erates the rate of infection, and may lead to death.”
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, or parasites change shape over time and do not respond to drugs, posing a threat to global health and development, which leads to the difficulty of treating these dis-eases, and its impact on the health and safety of the society and poses threat to global development . Dr. Samya Ahmad Al Abdulla, Exec-utive Director of Operations at PHCC, said: “PHCC, as customary annually, will join the rest of the world in this campaign from November 18 to 24, as the Infection Prevention and Drug Administration team at PHCC prepared activities for employees and patients in the health centres.
“Moreover, the Infection Control Team coordinated with the Public Relations and Institu-tional Communication Team in promoting this campaign in the community. Daily awareness lec-tures for health centre staff will also be organised during the week-long campaign with a focus on antibiotic resistance.
“PHCC staff will also receive daily text messages (in both Arabic and English) about antimicrobial awareness.”
Several landmarks in the country, including MoPH building, were also lit in blue, as a symbolic gesture in recognition of the efforts made to prevent antimi-crobial resistance based on the recommendation of WHO
