Tanzania works to control antibiotics resistance

Tanzanian health authorities said on Monday plans were afoot to control rising antibiotics resistance among patients in the east African nation.

Mohamed Kambi, the country's chief medical officer, said the government was laying groundwork for a national action plan to control the rising trend of antibiotics resistance.

He said One-Health, a collaborative approach involving experts in veterinary medicine and those in the health sector, would help tackle antibiotic resistance in a holistic manner.

Kambi's statement came after two key studies carried out in Tanzania exposed antibiotic resistance that threatened treatment effectiveness, with experts urging a review of prescription practices.

Kambi said the national action plan to curb antibiotic resistance would, apart from experts on animal medicine, involve the National Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA), the pharmaceutical authorities and all health stakeholders in the country.

"The action plan will also address the behavioral, legal and social implications of bacterial resistance," said Kambi.

Researchers said the common antibiotics being prescribed routinely in Tanzania were now losing effectiveness due to lack of clear policies guiding medical practitioners on how and when to give medications.

Experts said resistant organisms are passed from animals on to humans through consumption of meat, milk and other animal products.

Last year, Said Aboud, an expert on bacteriology, analyzed how antibiotics resistance was affecting the country in many sectors, through his publication in the Centre for Disease Dynamics Economics and Policy.

One key issue he tackled was the contribution of animal products in the rise of antibiotic resistance.

Aboud said: "This contributes to the decline towards ineffective antibiotics, like an approaching siren, getting louder and louder."

Last year, the heads of state and government at the United Nations General Assembly in New York committed to taking a broad, coordinated approach to address the root causes of antibiotic resistance across multiple sectors, especially human health, animal health and agriculture.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says globally, 480, 000 people develop multi-drug resistant tuberculosis each year, and drug resistance is starting to complicate the fight against HIV and malaria. Endit