Government is worried at the increase in patients that are resistant to antibiotics, resulting in complications in combating tuberculosis, malaria and HIV.
BY Munesu Nyakudya
Speaking at a workshop running under the theme Development of Anti-microbial Resistance One Health Action Plan for Zimbabwe, Health and Child Care deputy minister Aldrin Musiiwa said the issue of anti-microbial resistant drugs needed to be addressed urgently.
“We have noted emerging cases of multiple drug resistance among TB and malaria patients. There has also been resistance to first or second line medicines for HIV, forcing us to change to more expensive medications,” he said.
In a presentation, World Health Organisation official and medical doctor, Stanley Midzi, said nearly 700 000 people around the world die each year because of drug resistance.
Midzi said if unchecked, the figure could rise to one million deaths per year with medical costs rising by more than $100 trillion, as more expensive drugs would be used.
Musiiwa said if action was not taken soon, more people could die from drug resistance rather than from the actual diseases.
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“Anti-microbial resistance is like a time bomb, soon going to be causing more deaths than the HIV pandemic and TB infections combined in sub-Saharan Africa if left unattended. The situation needs to be corrected now, not tomorrow,” he said.
Musiiwa said anti-microbial drug resistance affected all infectious diseases that were caused by microbes, which are bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites.
“In other words, a patient is treated with the correct medicine, but the microbes will not respond to the agent such that signs and symptoms of the illness may not improve and this may lead to complications and death while on treatment,” he said.
In an effort to deal with the problem, the government has commissioned a national response team.
“My ministry has commissioned a national anti-microbial resistance core team to guide the country in the one health approach to anti-microbial resistance,” Musiiwa said.
