Omani doctor on a mission to combat antimicrobial resistance

Imagine surviving a severe illness like cancer only to die from an infection caused by germs resistant to antimicrobial drugs. 28 May 2021 The helplessness of being called to the scene too late for patients who were previously on their way to recovery from illness or surgery, drove Dr Amal Saif Al-Maani and her colleagues to lead the race against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) upstream. Since 2015 and for more than 10 years now, they advocated for, developed and implemented a national strategy to control antimicrobial resistance. “As an infectious disease specialist, by the time you get involved, there is nothing much you can do for the patient,” said Dr Al-Maani, director of the Central Department for Infection Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health in Oman. “We need to do something earlier, to address AMR on a multisectoral level and in a more comprehensive way to tackle all aspects of the problem. At the national level, yes, but it wouldn’t work without connecting internationally with all teams globally working to stop AMR,” she said. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs 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. AMR is caused by excessive and unnecessary use of antimicrobial drugs, including antibiotics, which erodes their effect on their targeted bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites over ...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news