Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim and Country Representative of World Health Organisation to Maldives Dr. Arvind Mathur has unveiled the national action plan to control anti-microbial resistance (A.M.R) in Maldives. The national action plan which is to be executed in the next five years was unveiled at a special ceremony held at Hotel Jen.
Organisations and bodies working in the health sector and other concerned authorities have aimed to control the anti-microbial resistance rate in Maldives. Under the effort, authorities have executed a five-year action plan which would run from 2017 to 2022.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim stated that the global problem of resistance to antibiotics is a threat to the whole world and stated that it is high time that Maldives level up its work in countering this issue. Minister Nazim highlighted that through the newly launched national action plan, utmost importance must be given to deliver correct information to the public, to make them aware about the issue.
Addressing the ceremony, Chairman of National Anti-microbial Resistance (A.M.R) Committee Dr. Ali Abdulla Latheef stated that the introduction of antibiotics is a revolutionary advancement but advised caution about the recent increase in the development of resistance to the antibiotics, which has been observed in Maldives as well.
After unveiling the national action plan, Country Representative of WHO to Maldives Dr. Arvind Mathur stated that the Maldivian health sector has exerted great effort in creating awareness about the rise of anti-microbial resistance in the nation. In this regard, the WHO Representative shed light on the importance of engagement, at an individual level, in addressing this issue.
This year, Antibiotics Awareness Week is celebrated from November 10 -19.