President Dr Arif Alvi has called for introducing massive changes to the present practice of frequent use of anti-microbial agents in human, animal and environmental sectors. He said that the unnecessary use of antibiotics posed serious health challenges requiring the change of attitude by medical practitioners and society as a whole. He added that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic had further highlighted the issue of rising antibiotic resistance. He expressed these views during a meeting with a delegation of Fleming Fund Grant, led by the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Dr Christian Turner, which called on President, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, today.
While talking to the delegation, the President said that Pakistan was currently struggling to deal with several drug-resistant epidemics. He informed that the Government of Pakistan, including all Provincial Health and Livestock Departments, were committed to play their role in global disease control program and stand by the global community in the effort to reduce anti-microbial resistance (AMR) burden.
The delegation gave a presentation to highlight the contributions and support, made by Fleming Fund, in strengthening Pakistan’s health system’s capacities through Improved Integrated Disease Surveillance Programs. The delegation briefed that AMR posed a grave threat to human lives as 10 Million people could die every year globally from drug-resistant infections, with 90% of these deaths would occur in Africa and Asia. The delegation apprised that Fleming Fund had conducted assessments of 25 national and provincial laboratories in Pakistan to strengthen their microbiology capacities. The delegation further briefed that the Fund had been working extensively to improve provincial level capacities in monitoring and managing AMR, including anti-microbial usage.
The President appreciated the efforts and financial support worth £9 Million provided by the Fund to Pakistan to address the threat of AMR.
