PM Ask Ministry to Seek Measures to Manage Antibiotic Use

Prime Minister (PM) Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Ministry of Health to seek measures to effectively monitor the implementation of regulations in antibiotic prescription and use in medical facilities and strictly handle violations, state media reported. Meanwhile, the PM also requested the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, and Natural Resources and Environment to assess the effectiveness of the national action plan on preventing antibiotic resistance for the 2013-2020 period, and apply measures to enhance its efficacy. The PM asked the two ministries to coordinate in managing the import of antibiotic materials used in the production and use of veterinary medicine. Antimicrobial resistance is a risk to Vietnam’s people and economy following the increase in antibiotic use and lax management of antibiotic use in healthcare and animal husbandry. According to WHO, antimicrobial resistance results in some 700,000 global deaths per year. By 2050, the number of deaths attributed to AMR is estimated to be 10 million per year, more than the estimate for cancer and 10 times more than the estimate for diabetes. (vnexpress.net Jan 4, vov.vn Jan 4)