PNG Medical Blog

What are the consequences of AMR?

AMR pathogens can have direct and indirect consequences which include: (1,2)

1. Worse clinical outcomes
2. Longer hospital stays
3. Recovery rate and quality of life of patients decreases
4. Longer healthcare use
5. Excess mortality in the affected patients
6. An increasing burden and cost on the healthcare infrastructure.
7. Decreased efficacy of available antimicrobial drugs
8. Decreased trust in medicine and pharmaceuticals
9. Inability to perform complex surgical interventions
10. Inability to perform Organ transplants
11. Inability to perform Cancer chemotherapy
12. Inability to use Intensive care and Neonatology services

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What are ways to combat AMR?

Interventions to control and combat AMR will be an investment for the future, saving on future health-care costs and protecting the workforce and economy. (3)

1. Country-specific and regional data
   • Robust national AMR surveillance, integrated in national health-information systems, that collects case-based clinical, laboratory and epidemiological data on AMR.
2. Strong laboratory infrastructure
   • Cost-effective diagnostics are central to improving clinical management of patients, as well as for detecting infection and antibiotic resistance for surveillance and informing appropriate use of antibiotics
3. Regulation of antibiotics
   • Regulatory mechanisms must be tightened, banning the availability of antibiotics without prescription over the counter and online, and rooting out falsified medications.
4. Education and training
   • Tailored to different audiences and cadres of health workers, including staff in primary care and laboratories, pharmacists, and young doctors in training as part of their continuous medical education, maximizing the use of e-learning platforms to increase reach.
5. Reducing infections
   • Reduces the need for antibiotics and slows the emergence of resistance. Prevention of infection must be emphasized.
6. AMR needs a multisectoral response
   • Strong leadership and national and regional multisectoral governance mechanisms are needed to effectively combat AMR.
   • The causal factors and impacts of AMR extend beyond the human health sector.
7. Prioritizing AMR requires strong political will and engagement backed up by sufficient investment
   • In financial and human resources to ensure sustainability.  
8. Best-buy interventions
   • Include improved infection, prevention and control (IPC) and handwashing, antimicrobial stewardship programmes to address over-prescription, and using rapid diagnostic tests to distinguish bacterial from viral infections

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The bottom line

If we do not implement strategies to combat AMR, we will face the severe consequences that come with it. This crisis can be averted if we all take action now.

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Antimicrobial resistance; a silent killer in PNG (part 1)

Antimicrobial resistance; what is antimicrobial resistance? (part 2)

Antimicrobial resistance; the AMR PNG crisis and contributing factors to AMR (part 3)

References

1.         Economic burden of antibiotic resistance in China: a national level estimate for inpatients – PubMed [Internet]. [cited 2024 Apr 6]. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33407856/

2.         Antimicrobial Resistance in the Context of the Sustainable Development Goals: A Brief Review – PubMed [Internet]. [cited 2024 Apr 6]. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34542450/

3.         Health and economic impacts of antimicrobial resistance in the Western Pacific Region, 2020–2030 [Internet]. [cited 2024 Apr 6]. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/9789290620112