USAID To Increase Awareness Against Misuse Of Veterinary Antibiotics Resistance
Dr Zainab Abdulkarim, an official from the Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services in the ministry, communicated this in a lecture on Wednesday in Sokoto.
Abdulkarim spoke at the 2023 commemoration of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week tagged “Handle Antimicrobial with Care” and other proactive measures in the tripartite agreement designed by ministry and other partners.
She said the partners included World Health Organisation (WHO), Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), USAID Breakthrough Action, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare as well as Federal Ministry of Environment.
Abdulakarim said that the students of Department of Veterinary Medicine in the Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto (UDUS) were targeted as to catch them young being the future prescribers in veterinary field.
She explained that the control mechanisms comprised awareness creation, surveillance, infection prevention and control, stewardship for responsible usage and research to reduce overdependence of antimicrobials.
Abdulkarim added that focus was geared toward educating people to increase their knowledge on the dangers of indiscriminate use of antimicrobials which lead to resistance and controlling the situation would be difficult task.
She pointed out that future generations would be endangered in the simple reason of making profits among livestock keepers, poultry farmers, fish farmers and other varieties in the animals business.
“Misuse of antimicrobials is losing the efficacy of the drugs on applications; responsible usage is the answer and Nigerians needed to adhere to the best practices.
“Veterinarians needed to take samples and undertake professional diagnosis before prescriptions,” she said.
Another presenter, Mr Dominc Lazarus, a Veterinary Epidemiologist, Laboratory and AMR Specialist with Emergency Center for Transborder Animal Disease in FAO, described the awareness as apt and timely.
Lazarus said unnecessary use of antimicrobials led to increase in cases of resistance and public perceptions needed to change on standard application modalities.
He said that (AMR) jeopardised the effectiveness of essential medicines, impacting the treatment of infections in both humans and animals.
According to him, in Africa, AMR has been identified as a more significant challenge and there is urgency for more collaboration to address AMR issues.
He said that action would also tame the increasing antibiotics resistance exacerbated by the worsening economic condition occasioned by the floating of the Nigerian naira and removal of fuel subsidy.
The event witnessed presentations on antimicrobials use, cure, preventive and treatment as well as adding value to produced substances.
There was also a question and answer session led by Dr Nafi’u Lawal of UDUS.
NAN/Oyenike Oyeniyi
