TACKLING ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE IN ZAMBIA

The Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), in collaboration with the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI), hosted a National Antimicrobial Resistance Coordinating Committee (AMRCC) meeting that reviewed the progress made in response to antimicrobial resistance in the country and to pave ways for improved sensitisation and awareness creation on the dangers of increased and unnecessary use of antibiotics.

The national AMRCC is charged with the responsibility of implementing the national action plan against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) which threatens the effective prevention and treatment of a range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi. This happens when “bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death”, reports the World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance).

CIDRZ, through the Fleming Fund, supports capacity building and strengthening activities of the Ministry of Health laboratories for routine AMR surveillance in the country. CIDRZ further gives technical support to the various technical working groups on the national action plan to combat AMR.