It is my pleasure to join you, once again, to celebrate the World Health Day, today, 7th April 2011. The theme for this year’s celebration is; Combat Drug Resistance: “No action today, No cure tomorrow”. It emphasizes the critical role that drug resistance monitoring plays in the successful treatment and outcome of the various infectious diseases.
Antibiotics have been in use for over 70 years with positive outcomes in patients. Due to prolonged and at times suboptimal use of these drugs, targeted germs have developed resistance. The other reasons for drug resistance include the use of fake and counterfeit medicines, poor prescribing habits and non compliance to prescribed treatment. 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 combining multiple drugs in the treatment of single germs.
In our Region, drug resistance surveillance is limited to a few countries resulting in incomplete data on the true extent of this problem. Despite limited laboratory capacity to monitor this resistance; available data suggest that the African Region shares the worldwide trend of increasing drug resistance. Significant resistance has for example been reported for diseases such as bloody diarrhoea due to dysentery, tuberculosis, Malaria and AIDS.
Between 2008 and 2009, of the 451 isolates of the Shigella germs responsible for bloody diarrhoea identified by 18 countries in the region, 78% were resistant to the primary drug used to treat this condition. This has led to the use of new medicines that are relatively expensive.
With regard to Tuberculosis, over 35,000 cases of resistance to several effective drugs used have been notified by over 35 countries since 2007 in the region. While primary transmission of these strains occurs, the most important cause of this resistance is inadequate or poor compliance to tuberculosis treatment.
In the early 1990s, wide-spread resistance to Chloroquine had been detected in the Region. This led to change in the malaria treatment policies to new combination drugs. To date, there has been no confirmed resistance to these new antimalarial medicines in the region. However, we must remain vigilant and regularly monitor the emergence of resistance to these drugs.
In relation to AIDS, a recent survey conducted at antenatal clinics in several countries in the Region estimated that resistance to all classes of AIDS drugs combined was less than 5%. This is likely to increase as more patients are placed on these drugs.
Surveillance is the primary strategy for tracking emerging drug resistance in the population, and thus allowing for early and appropriate action. Countries should therefore strengthen their capacity for early detection and identification of resistant germs that cause diseases of public health importance.
In addition, national laboratories responsible for monitoring drug resistance must be suitably staffed and fully equipped for them to produce meaningful data in support of this surveillance. The information generated should be regularly shared between stakeholders for informed action by national authorities.
Left unchecked, the uncontrolled rise in resistant germs threatens lives and wastes limited resources. Urgent and coordinated action is required at all levels to ensure the preservation of these life-saving drugs for future generations.
Governments should develop and implement medicine policies and strategies that take into consideration the threat of drug resistance so as to limit the evolution and possible spread of resistant germs.
I would like to call upon Members States to take advantage of this year’s World Health Day theme to awaken to the real threat of drug resistance in our region, consolidate our efforts to combat it and raise the required resources. No action today, No cure tomorrow.
Thank you.