Akinjide Adeosun, Chairman of St Racheal’s Pharma has advocated for a centralized purchase of antibiotics by the Federal Government.
He believes this action could significantly drive industrialization, boost medicine security, and generate a plethora of jobs.
His recommendation involves a similar strategy to the Petroleum Trust Fund’s ,PTF, approach in 1994, whereby antibiotics could be dispensed at subsidized rates to needy patients in Federal Teaching Hospitals and Medical Centers across Nigeria.
Adeosun’s call for this strategic move emerged during the 2023 World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week ,WAAW. This year, the theme, “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together”, emphasizes cross-sectoral collaboration to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials.
Highlighting the seriousness of Antimicrobial Resistance ,AMR, particularly in Africa, Adeosun stressed its impact on essential medicines’ effectiveness for both humans and animals.
He attributed the urgency to address AMR to the exacerbation caused by economic challenges stemming from the floating of the Nigerian naira and the removal of fuel subsidies. Adeosun expressed concern that high energy costs, steep lending rates, and spiraling inflation have rendered medicines unaffordable and scarce, leading to potential suboptimal dosing of antibiotics and subsequent increased morbidity and mortality rates.
Citing data, Adeosun stated that AMR caused approximately 1.27 million deaths in 2019 and could potentially claim up to 10 million lives annually by 2050 if not addressed. He emphasized the need for prudent use of existing antibiotics, highlighting the critical importance of their appropriate usage.
Acknowledging the global collaboration of the World Health Organisation ,WHO, United Nations Environment Programme, Food and Agriculture Organisation ,FAO, and World Organisation for Animal Health ,WOAH, in marking WAAW 2023, Adeosun proposed a multifaceted approach involving various sectors to mitigate AMR’s impact.
He advocated for preventive measures to reduce infection rates, proper disposal of antimicrobial contaminated waste, and emphasized the urgency of leveraging genomics to address AMR. Adeosun called for unity among various stakeholders across public and private sectors to forge a unified strategy against AMR, contributing to improving Nigerians’ life expectancy.
The call to action from the Pharma Chairman underscores the imperative for coordinated efforts in combatting AMR and ensuring the prudent use of antibiotics to safeguard public health and environmental sustainability.
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