WHO Calls for Coordinated Effort to Fight Drug Resistance
2011 World Health Day was commemorated by WHO regional director, Luis Gomes Sambo, by urging leaders to fight drug resistance by removing counterfeit medicine, bad prescribing habits and over exposure to sub-optimal quantities of medications.
“If not properly managed, resistant germs may spread and cause severe diseases. However, attempts have been made to overcome drug resistance through the development of newer medicines and combating multiple drugs in the treatment of single germs,” reports The Ghanian newspaper Today.
Africa is following worldwide trends, he said, in increased drug resistance for dysentery, tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS.
78% of dysentery cases are resistant to the primary treatment medication. Over 35,000 cases of drug resistant tuberculosis have been noted in over 35 countries since 2007 in the region. AIDS medication resistance at prenatal clinics is growing, but is less than 5%.
Sambo recommends surveillance of drug resistance in the population, and calls on countries to strengthen their medical and pharmaceutical agencies to provide adequate supervision.