Tanzania makes progress in reducing antibiotic use, improving drug resistance surveillance

Geneva. Chief Medical Officer Prof Tumaini Nagu has announced that Tanzania has made significant strides in reducing antibiotic use and enhancing drug resistance surveillance.

Prof Nagu revealed that drug resistance surveillance using laboratory tests in the country has reached 80 percent.

She made these remarks while representing Tanzania at the ongoing 77th World Health Assembly (WHA77) of Health Ministers in Geneva, Switzerland, which was convened by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

"We have made progress in reducing the indiscriminate use of drugs, a crucial matter for which we urge the World Health Organisation to continue investing in sanitation and infection prevention infrastructure in healthcare facilities," she stated.

Elaborating on drug resistance, Prof Nagu explained that the resistant organisms include fungi, bacteria, and viruses that, when resistant, render drugs ineffective in the body.

The professor attributed the situation to people's non-adherence to proper drug use, including not taking medication at the correct time.

"Experts recommend that patients take medication every 12 hours, with one dose at 12 pm and another at 4 am. However, some people miss doses or share medication, which is not right," she explained.

At the global health meeting, stakeholders agreed on urgent national and international actions to control drug resistance, particularly in the lead-up to the second global conference on drug resistance (AMR) in September this year.

According to WHO, drug resistance has economic and social consequences, estimated to contribute to 1.3 million deaths annually, with people of all ages being affected, particularly in developing countries.

Economically, drug resistance is projected to cost $3.4 trillion by 2030 and push 28 million people into poverty by 2050.

In response to this situation, WHO has set priorities from 2025 to 2035 to address drug resistance, which are infection control, easy and rapid access to diagnostics and treatment, appropriate treatment for infections, and government investment in the health sector to address the drug resistance challenge.

Child mortality

Speaking at the meeting, Prof Nagu noted that Tanzania has invested in reducing maternal deaths by over 80 percent.

"Under-five child deaths have declined by 35% between 2016 and 2022," she said.

While many countries face challenges in addressing maternal deaths, health ministers worldwide have adopted joint resolutions to tackle this pressing issue.

The agreed-upon resolutions include: controlling maternal deaths in the most affected countries by improving primary healthcare services and emergency care to save mothers during childbirth emergencies; and strengthening reproductive healthcare services by providing family planning services.

As these resolutions are implemented, WHO estimates that 287,000 women die from pregnancy complications each year, while 4.9 million children lose their lives due to preventable causes.