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Antimicrobial resistance; consequences and ways to combat AMR (part 4)
What are the consequences of AMR? AMR pathogens can have direct and indirect consequences which include: (1,2) 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) The bottom line If we do not…
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Antimicrobial resistance; the AMR PNG crisis and contributing factors to AMR (part 3)
What is the AMR PNG crisis? In Papua New Guinea (PNG), antimicrobial therapy constitutes a major form of treatment for almost all our patients we attend to. Endemic and emerging infectious diseases are implicated in half of childhood deaths and over 40% of all mortality in the country. (1) It is mainly empirical due to…
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Antimicrobial resistance; what is antimicrobial resistance? (part 2)
What are antimicrobials? These drugs include antibiotics for bacteria, antivirals for viruses, antifungals for fungi, and antiparasitics for parasites – are medicines used to prevent and treat infectious diseases in humans, animals and plants. (1) The most common antimicrobials in use in our public hospitals are antibiotics which include: Amoxicillin, Penicillin, Chloramphenicol, septrin, ceftriaxone, Flucloxacillin,…
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Antimicrobial resistance; a silent killer in PNG (part 1)
Imagine going to the hospital with what you think is just a simple stomach ache. It could be something you ate a few days ago or you didn’t wash your hands before or after you ate something or you just returned from a foreign country and must have contracted a bug. After a few visits…
