*Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)
Hello. My name is Dr Takeshi Kasai, I’m the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for the Western Pacific.
It is World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, and I want to talk to you about why we need to work together to tackle antimicrobial resistance.
When we overuse and misuse antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal and anti-parasitic medicines, infections become harder—and sometimes impossible—to treat. This is a very serious threat to all of us. If we allow antimicrobial resistance to keep growing, minor injuries and simple surgeries could become very dangerous.
And it’s not only a threat to the health of the individuals who get those infections; it’s a threat to whole economies and societies.
Our theme for this year’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week is “Stewards for the Future: One Region, One Movement to Fight Antimicrobial Resistance”. Because all of us have a role to play in addressing this problem.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the dangers of antimicrobial resistance – and the need to address it urgently. We’re seeing reports of antibiotics being misused in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. And patients in intensive care with COVID-19 who also have infections that are resistant to treatment are much less likely to survive.
Antimicrobial resistance will make the impact of disease outbreaks such as COVID-19 worse if we don’t act today.
We must do everything possible to be “antimicrobial stewards” – preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines. Some of the simplest ways we can do that is by getting vaccinated and keeping our hands and environments clean to prevent infections in the first place.
COVID-19 has shown us that, now more than ever, we need to stand together to stop antimicrobial resistance. We need a movement which brings people together, to protect each other and future generations from the very real threat of antimicrobial resistance.
We thank all those “Stewards for the Future” who have already pledged to take action against antimicrobial resistance. We are inspired by your stories, and the actions you are taking to protect yourself and others.
And we ask others to join us. Whether you’re a member of the public committed to doing your part to ensure we can treat infections today and in the future; a health professional practicing good hygiene and only dispensing antimicrobials when necessary; a farmer keeping their animals and crops healthy without the use of antimicrobials; or a policy maker regulating the use of these vital tools for health and development. You are all helping to slow the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Thank you for your solidarity and support. It’s helping to make the Western Pacific safe and healthy for the 1.9 billion of us who call this Region home, and for generations to come.
Thank you very much.