2000
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E-drug: World Health Organization Report on Infectious Disease 2000
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Having just gone through this 67-page document titled
"Overcoming antimicrobial resistance", I would like to
seek some advise on the role of infection control practice
in preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
In this document there are two statements, which seem on
the one hand to suggest that infection control does little or
nothing and on the other hand seem to suggest that infection
control practices are key!. Let me quote them: On page 32
of the book, under the title RESISTANCE IN HOSPITALS
"Inadequate training, monitoring and basic education on basic
hygiene has serious implications, not only for the hospital
population itself, but also for the community at large" and on
page46 under the title HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTIONS,
"So far, current preventive methods emphasizing hygiene and
aggressive infection control measures have reaped only dubious
benefits and at best, only slowed the spread of resistant
bacteria". Infection control practice is a relatively new concept
in Africa and is slowly catching the wave.
The information we have is that this Practice prevents the need
for antibiotics as well as minimizing the spread of (resistant)
microbes. Could someone please clear the air here? This
detailed document also gives very useful information on the way
forward to prevent antimicrobial resistance. Is there any further
information available on what is best practice for antibiotic use?
What are the broad current trends for the management of
infections and infestations?
Finally, I congratulate the WHO for bringing out this alarming
trend in a reader friendly version(although as one e-drugger
commented, it is a year late!). I hope they will present this
information to our governments and medical training institutions
as most of the interventions required are at policy and
educational level. If access to this information would reach all
the prescribers and dispensers(especially in developing
countries), maybe the alarming nature of the report will produce
some desired results!
Dr Atieno Ojoo;
Chief Pharmacist;
Gertrudes Garden Childrens' Hospital;
P.O.Box 42325;
Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel: 254 02 763474-7
Fax: 254 02 763281
Email: mojoo@gerties.org
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