The Minister of Health, Abdelhak Saihi, renewed on Monday, on the occasion of the opening of a study day commemorating the National Day to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance, Algeria’s commitment to combating antimicrobial resistance through the implementation of a national action plan.
The Minister of Health stated, in a speech read on his behalf by the Director of Prevention and Health Education at the Ministry, Djamel Forar, that Algeria reaffirms – like other countries – its commitment through the implementation of the national action plan to combat these antibiotics, especially by maintaining the celebration of this national day that gave character Institutional it, and World Antimicrobial Good Use Week.
According to Saihi, the issue of antibiotic resistance was one of the most serious threats to global health, food security and sustainable development. Algeria has not escaped this problem, as this day is an opportunity to recall the efforts made and the progress achieved.
As a reminder, antimicrobial resistance was included in 2019 as a new indicator in the framework of following up on development goals.
The minister considered that this national day is an opportunity to evaluate, inform and raise awareness about the good use of antimicrobials, especially antibiotics, and to consolidate gains in the field of prevention and control.
The same official stressed, by the way, that the first objective of the work of the national plan is to introduce the problem of antimicrobial resistance among the general public and human and animal health professionals and educate them about its consequences, highlighting the importance of Algeria’s participation in the global system for monitoring antimicrobial resistance through the national network for monitoring bacterial resistance to antibiotics and the Pasteur Institute Algeria as a laboratory Reference, which should be strengthened, monitored and followed up on this antimicrobial resistance in animals through the device established by the Ministry of Agriculture.
In this context, Saihi pointed to the availability of one or more national guides and directives for care such as tuberculosis, AIDS, hepatitis and malaria, as well as the availability of a guide for the good use of antibiotics.
The appropriate use of antimicrobials – he added – requires that the national strategy be implemented in a practical way in health institutions, with priority actions to control the consumption of antimicrobials, especially antibiotics and bacterial resistance.
It is also important now – according to the Minister of Health – to have data on the consumption of antimicrobials. To do this, the Directorate General of Pharmacy created a regulatory framework through the establishment of a national multidisciplinary committee tasked with monitoring the consumption of antimicrobials, noting in this context that the committee will work in close cooperation with antimicrobial resistance monitoring networks and participate in the validation of the treatment guide.
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, celebrating this National Antimicrobial Resistance Day is important because excessive use of antibiotics during this pandemic can lead to the emergence and acceleration of antimicrobial resistance.
On the other hand, he stressed the perseverance to achieve the set goals, and ensuring the implementation of the main elements of the national action plan to combat antimicrobial resistance and translating them into concrete and measurable actions. Fostering multidisciplinary and multisectoral collaboration with a “One Health” approach to preserve antimicrobials for future generations.
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