Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology Medical and Research Club held the third annual symposium on October 17 and 18, 2024. The fruitful event was organized to discuss new and sustainable ways of managing AMR (Antimicrobial resistance), which is a rising threat globally.
Micro-organisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites have found new ways to make drugs administered ineffective which leads to the increase of disease spread, severe illness and death.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), AMR was responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019, with a further 4.95 million deaths attributed to drug resistant infections. A recent analysis by the EcoAMR Series projects that antibiotic-resistant infections could lead to more than 39 million human deaths between 2025 and 2050 if the issue is not addressed.
During the keynote address Prof. Gunturu Revathi of Aga Khan University hospital said, “Hospital Wards are home of “superbugs” that are resistant to multiple drugs, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.”
In low and middle-income countries such as Kenya, poverty is the primary driver of this crisis. Other factors include overuse and misuse of antibiotics, inequality, lack of control and preventive measures. Dr Lauren Jankelowitz mentioned ways GARDP is combating AMR. They include practice of good hygiene, completion of prescribed antibiotics, enhancement of surveillance and monitoring to track and lastly, support policies and programs. She noted that it needs health practitioners with the help of youths to combat this crisis.
Dr Eddy Odari, a senior lecturer in the Medical Microbiology Department at JKUAT, said that the youths be in the frontline in curbing AMR. In response to this global threat, he urged students to: raise awareness on AMR to family and friends; leverage social media platforms, organize more AMR workshops, participate in research and hackathons, as well as seek partnerships with the government and NGOs.
“When we treat patients, we must first be accurate of the bacterial infection and not spend much of patients money on diagnosis.” Said Owanga Lucas, one of the students who attended the symposium.
Another student, Vivian Wambui added that it is important for medics to make patients aware of the antibiotics they use instead of giving them quick fixes on drugs that they demand.