Vietnamplus

The overuse and misuse of antibiotics by consumers are regarded as key drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Vietnam, according to Dr. Kidong Park, WHO Representative to Vietnam.

The Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in coordination with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) on November 18 launched a campaign to raise public awareness on responsible use of antibiotics in Vietnam.

Hospital infections were becoming a common problem that required more focus from the healthcare sector, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said.

The fisheries sector is aiming at 10 billion USD in the export of aquatic products in 2019, a year-on-year rise of 11 percent, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.

A meeting entitled “Antibiotics: Responsible use” was held at the Hanoi Medical University on November 13 to raise awareness of the issue amongst future doctors and nurses.

The prevention of food poisoning and food-borne diseases have been improved drastically and showed positive results based on the decrease on food poisoning cases in the first six months of this year, a conference heard on July 20.

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics in food is rife in Southeast Asia, a Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) official said on January 31, warning of serious risks for people and animals as bacterial infections become more resistant to treatment.

The Ministry of Health has launched a project wherein by 2020, all pharmacies will be required to sell antibiotics only to patients carrying doctors’ prescriptions.

Some 30 percent of patients at the National Children’s Hospital (NCH) suffer from drug-resistant bacteria stemming from improper use of antibiotics.

The over-prescription of antibiotics caused a common gastrointestinal bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance, experts said at a recent conference on digestion held by Bach Mai Hospital and the Japanese Nagoya University in Hanoi.

Half of all medicine used in Vietnam is locally manufactured, however, it has been largely unused in central hospitals, PhD Truong Quoc Cuong, Deputy Minister of Health, has said.

Failing to meet food safety regulations remains the biggest issue that Vietnamese firms must overcome in entering foreign markets, said Rick Gilmore of the Global Food Safety Forum at a workshop on April 26.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong explained several new regulations regarding agriculture during a working session in Hanoi on March 8.

Vaccines against pneumonia, diarrhoea and the HPV virus that causes cervical cancer will be added to the national immunisation programme, with support from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunis

The awareness of farmers should receive appropriate attention from authorised agencies as they are important to thoroughly tackling unsafe food, which is now a conundrum in society.

The Health Ministry has instructed hospitals nationwide to use antibiotics with more restraint in a bid to prevent growing resistance to the drugs.

Warm, wet weather creates a conducive environment for different kinds of viruses - including the flu - to develop, so people should remain vigilant in order to allow for timely and proper treatment.

Vietnam has joined 12 other Asian countries in a campaign launched by the Interpol in September to prevent the trading of counterfeit pharmaceutical products.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) encourages individuals to use antibiotics responsibly by taking the medicine only with doctors’ prescriptions.