This year’s  World Antibiotic Awareness Week (WAAW)  commemoration event was organized by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Ethiopian Food, Medicine and Health Care Administration and Authority (FMHACA), Veterinary Drug and Animal Feed Administration and Control Authority (VDFACA), National Animal health Diagnostic and Investigation Center (NAHDIC), Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), WHO, FAO and USAID/ Global Health Supply Chain Programme – Procurement Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) collaboratively with “One Health approach”. As part of this event held on 27 Nov, 2018 a panel discussion and press conference was conducted in parallel session at Ghion Hotel, Addis Ababa. The theme for this year is “Antimicrobial resistance poses a BIG THREAT to human, animal and environmental health and the economy: changing our behavior can make a difference!”

Mr. Mengistab Woldearegay on, behalf of Dr. Paul MAINUKA representative to WR Ethiopia a.i. made key note for the WAAW 2018 panel discussion and read the Message of Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, on the occasion of World Antibiotic Awareness Week.
“Antibiotic resistant micro-organism may infect humans and animals, making the infections they cause harder to treat contributing to prolonged, more expensive treatments, longer hospital stays, lost productivity and increased mortality.” said Mr, Mengistab on behalf of Dr Paul Mainuka, Representative to WHO Ethiopia a.i.

Ethiopia undertook a remarkable effort by developing and implementing the national strategy and plan of action for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) prevention and containment; establishing national AMR advisory committee, developing cascaded regional states/city administration plan of action and allocating resources for its implementation. Mr. Mengistab acknowledged the development partners including FAO, CDC and USAID for the support to the government of Ethiopia in the above mentioned endeavour. 

Dr. Keyredin Redi , Deputy General Director of Ethiopian Food, Medicine and Health Care Administration and Authority (FMHACA) who officially opened the panel discussion held in the commemoration of World Anti Biotic Week ( WAAW) urged that media has to play key role to support the national effort’s in AMR prevention and containment by raising awareness.

During the panel discussion, participants were updated by presentations on AMR: Global Magnitude Impact and Evidence, Global Strategy and Plan of Action for AMR, Prevention and Containment implementation status, National Strategy and Plan of Action for AMR, Prevention and Containment implementation effort underway, Human AMR Surveillance Study Report, and Animal AMR Surveillance Study Report were presented and discussed. The discussion has come out with identifying strengths, challenges and way forwards.     

The global action plan on Antimicrobial Resistance focuses on five key actions: get informed, gather data, prevent infections, regulate medicines and invest now. Ethiopia adopted the national strategy called “Ethiopian AMR prevention and containment strategy” with five strategic objectives which aims to raise awareness and improve education on the subject, strengthen the surveillance and research, improve infection prevention, optimize the use on antimicrobials through effective stewardships, management and governance for the prevention and containment of AMR at all levels.

A press conference conducted in parallel with the panel discussion session where many reporters from Afri Health TV, Nahoo TV, Ethiopian Press Agency, Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation and other media took part.

The panel discussion and press conference conducted side by side has enabled to increase awareness of the participants of AMR Global and national magnitude, impact and evidence, and implementation status of the global and national strategy and plan of action for AMR prevention and containment including strengths, challenges and way forwards. The panel discussion and press conference were concluded on how to improve collaboration and concerted efforts to comprehensively address AMR prevention and containment in Ethiopia following one health approach.   

For further information:
Mengisteab Teferi, WHO Ethiopia, teferim [at] who.int (teferim[at]who[dot]int)
Selamawit Yilma, WHO Ethiopia, yilmas [at] who.int (yilmas[at]who[dot]int)