Overuse of Antibiotics Poses Drug Resistance Problem in Vietnam

The overuse of antibiotics in both people and livestock in Vietnam is posing a rising threat of drug resistance, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said at a meeting with Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the World Health Organization (WHO) and several other concerned agencies. The meeting held on June 24 was titled ‘Plan to fight against antibiotics resistance in Vietnam’. Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said overuse of antibiotics would likely cause resistance, which eventually leads to longer treatments, worse prognoses, and higher mortality risk. Drug resistance crisis has rose sharply in recent years, especially in developing countries like Vietnam, Chief Representative of the WHO in Vietnam Jeffery Kobza pointed out, adding that development of antibiotics has been slowdown in the last 30 years with only a few releases. According to a survey by the MoH, antibiotics accounted for 13.4% and 18.7% of revenues of the pharmacies in urban and rural areas of the northern provinces, respectively. Notably, most of the antibiotics were sold without prescription, with the rates hitting 88% and 91% of the drug sales in urban and rural areas, respectively. The survey also pointed out that 32% of people in urban areas bought antibiotics to treat cough although cough is only a symptom of a disease. Meanwhile, the WHO also released a study showing that among ten best sellers of drugs, antibiotics have the highest stake. Since the demand for food increases, farmers have been using more antibiotics for their productions. A survey in 2013 showed that there were up to 45 antibiotics used to prevent diseases and promote growth. The MoH and MoARD and related agencies have signed agreement to fight against the overuse of antibiotic through improving national supervision quality on antibiotics. (An Ninh Thu Do – Capital Security June 25 p6)