Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen has raised her worry about the increasing antibiotic resistance caused by inappropriate use in treatment of anti-bacterial contamination in Vietnam.

Anti-bacterial contamination now accounts a large proportion of diseases in the country, the health official said at the launch of a national action plan on anti-drug resistance in Hanoi on August 5.

Responding to the World Health Organisation’s appeal “No action today means no cure tomorrow”, Vietnam has developed its national action plan for the 2013-20 period, Xuyen said.

According to the official, the action plan requires joint efforts and commitments of all ministries and sectors from central to local levels in order to prevent the situation.

Experts in disease control and clinic pharmacy from hospitals nationwide and relevant agencies, and World Health Organisation (WHO) representatives shared view on global drug resistance and solutions to prevent the increase of antimicrobial resistance while emphasising the role of bacterial contamination control in the fight against drug resistance at some hospitals in Vietnam.

According to WHO, in 2012 Vietnam ranked 14th among the 27 countries having highest number of multi-drug resistant TB patients.

In the face of the situation, Vietnam has together with Western Pacific countries committed to implementing the national action plan on drug resistance and endeavouring to the global battle against anti-drug resistance.

The national action plan provides the situation, points out causes and effects of anti-drug resistance in the health sector as well as in cultivation, animal husbandry and aquaculture. It offers solutions to prevent the situation from becoming hazardous.-VNA