Antibiotic Awareness: Myanmar Marks 3rd Time Celebration

Myanmar commemorated the World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2019 in Yangon on Friday.

This is the 3rd time the country remarked the day as it has been held since 2017. It is one of the most important global events of the United Nations including awareness on the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the biggest threats to the global health.

Myanmar adopted a national project (2017-2022) for combating antimicrobial resistance with technical help from the WHO.

Deputy Director General, National Health Laboratory, Prof. Htay Htay Tin said “We adopted the National Action Plan which features five strategic objectives focusing on improving awareness and understanding of anti-microbial resistance through effective communication, education and training, sharing the knowledge and evidence base through surveillance and research. It highlights on reducing infection through effective sanitation, hygiene and preventive measures and optimizing the use of antimicrobial medicines in human and animal health.”

About 700,000 people had died across the world including Myanmar due to antimicrobial resistance with the death toll likely to reach up to 10 million by 2050, the World Health Organization reported. In case of that, a Myanmar national multi-sectorial steering committee was formed with the leadership of Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr. Myint Htwe on 22nd January 2018.

Country Representative, World Health Organization (Myanmar), Stephan Paul Jost said “It’s very important that we raise health literacy overall in the country among population to reach the wider possible number of people and to raise the overall knowledge and awareness of health and health seeking behavior. At the same time, we need to also make sure that good public care interventions are taking place as are being step up for instance in immunization there is a whole range of intervention stair to improve immunization standards in Myanmar is making very big effort and big progress in that regard”.

The goal of this week is to raise awareness of the health risks posed by antibiotic resistance and to promote good practice in this area concern, to limit the emergence and spread of resistance bacteria throughout the world.

Chairman, Pyithu Hluttaw Health and Sports Development Committee, Dr. San Shwe Win said “The antibiotics can be available at all times in anywhere even without physician’s instruction. And the public take the antibiotics recklessly. Also the unregistered medicines come illegally from border gates. We need cooperation to address it. We have to provide awareness, control measures and controlling sub-standard medicines.

The panel discussion on antimicrobial resistance, prize awarding session for outstanding winners of cartoons and poster competition, quiz session and awareness booths are also included in the event.