IUG Faculty of Health Sciences, on Monday, held a press conference to launch the activities of World Antibiotic Awareness campaign in coordination with 20 partners.
Through the press conference, Prof. Fadel Naeem, Head of Doctors in Gaza, called on Specialists, Doctors and Pharmacists to good use the antibiotics in their prescriptions, and be fully aware of its critical impacts on patients.
According to Prof. Abdelraouf Elmanama, this campaign comes to meet the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance which sets out five strategic objectives:
1- to improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance.
2- to strengthen knowledge through surveillance and research.
3- to reduce the incidence of infection.
4- to optimize the use of antimicrobial agents.
5- develop the economic case for sustainable investment that takes account of the needs of all countries, and increase investment in new medicines, diagnostic tools, vaccines and other interventions.
He asserted, at IUG Tiba Building, that the week’s activities help disseminate vast awareness about the utmost use of antibiotics, in addition to pile up as well as conduct a group of researches and employ them in combating the phenomenon. He, furthermore, stated that Palestine has tried to find out antimicrobial resistance alternatives by utilizing plant extracts and Nanotechnologies which has been available to researchers in Gaza.
Prof. Fadel Naeem, Head of Doctors in Gaza, declared: The dominant feature of using antibiotics in Palestine is excessive; based on this fact, we have to all work hand in hand to make awareness starting from the medical faculties to the ministry of health”. The overuse of antibiotics, he added, led to loads of germs that prolong recovery in hospitals, specially, those people who were inflicted in the Great Return March.
The Antibiotics awareness has been supported by the Ministry of Health, and tackled by different medical institutions in Gaza.
WHO Office Director Dr. Abdel Nasser Subeh reported that the overuse of antibiotics has serious impacts not only on humans who have been dramatically increasing, but also on animals and plants.
The activities of World Antibiotic Awareness Week have included social media complain #WorldAntibioticAwarnessWeek, as well as, an exhibition for students’ participations, in which several corners encompass experiments, graduation research, contests and biographies for first detectors of antibiotics.
