Celebrated in the third week of November each year, From 18 to 24, the main objective of the Global Week for the Good Use of Antimicrobials is to raise awareness about the dangers of the misuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobials. This year it was celebrated under the theme “Together, Prevent AMR”.
In Burundi, on the occasion of the celebration of this day, the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control organized at the National Institute of Public Health a conference on the fight against AMR.
This conference, hosted by drug and laboratory professionals, teaching-research doctors, and medical practitioners, provided an opportunity to discuss the situation and impact of AMR in the world, Africa and Burundi. These exchanges provided clarification on the initiatives developed by the country through the national plan for the fight against AMR.
On the occasion of this World Week, the Burundian Network for Infection Prevention and Control joined other stakeholders in the health sector and journalists and had an opportunity to present the activities it has already carried out in the field of Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) and the fight against AMR and its prospects for the future.
The workshop concluded with recommendations on appropriate measures to combat AMR, including:
• Raise awareness of the need to return the remaining unused medications;
• Sensitize biomedical technologists and consider their role in the fight against AMR;
• Make the National action plan on AMR (NAP-AMR) available on the Government website for all partners to take ownership of;
• Enhance collaboration between the Government and development partners for potential support in the fight against AMR;
• Operationalize the One Health approach;
• Establish a multi-sector AMR monitoring mechanism;
• Set up regulators in the NAP-AMR.