Countries in the Region Draw Up Actions Against Antimicrobial Resistance with UN Guidelines
3 julio 2019

Ecuador held a working day on June 28 to strengthen its health surveillance system in response to the report launched by the United Nations (UN) on the increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In the meantime, in Paraguay, a Technical Committee is studying actions to reduce drug resistance, and Chile has announced it will analyze an initiative filed by opposition senators to ensure the state implements policies to minimize the effects associated with AMR. The issue is now on the agenda of the different countries’ congresses, and more progress is expected in the coming months.

The Ecuadorian Ministry of Health’s working day was organized as part of its drive to tackle AMR, and included a debate with public and private health professionals on topics such as the use of the Whonet system, a tool used to monitor the resistance of microorganisms. At the same time, a motion was presented in the Chilean Congress to adopt measures to combat AMR in view of the abuse of medicines. Chilean congressmen, including Guido Girardi (Partido por la Democracia – opposition), maintained that bacteria are no longer responding to the usual treatments, requiring antibiotics of a “very high cost, not always with favorable results.”

Meanwhile, the Paraguayan Technical Committee, which met on June 27, is working to define actions to reduce the incidence of drug resistance. Overall, the scenario shows how the UN recommendations are being implemented in these countries, and the rest of the region is expected to make progress in the next few months to develop national policies and programmes to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

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