AMR Surveillance Kicked OFF
The Ethiopian Public Health Institute’s (EPHI) Bacterial, Parasitic and Zoonotic Disease Research Directorate organized a launching and sensitization workshop for the surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Using Public Health Laboratory-Based Sentinel sites in Ethiopia on July 21, 2017.
The workshop intended to give awareness to the data collectors of the surveillance which will be conducted in 16 sites found in 6 regions of the country. The surveillance aims to find out the current status of AMR in Ethiopia, to enter to action and aware the situation to concerned authorities.
Dr. Tsigereda Kifle EPHI’s Deputy General Director in her opening speech explained that antimicrobial agents play a critical role in reducing morbidity and mortality due to communicable diseases. The discovery of antimicrobial agents, has transformed the treatment of infectious disease and the fate of humankind.
“However, the emergence and spread of resistance to many of these agents are negating their efficacy. AMR threatens the effectiveness of successful treatments for the infections and is a public health issue with local, national and global dimensions,” said Dr. Tsigereda.
Center for Disease Control – Atlanta, health workers from six regional health bureaus and also from EPHI participated on the workshop.