The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) has advocated for a worldwide response to the public health threat posed by antimicrobial resistance.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites evolve and cease to react to medications.
This makes infections more difficult to cure, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe diseases and death.
NNVMA national president Olutoyin Adetuberu stated during the association’s Annual Leaders’ Summit on Tuesday in Abuja that a worldwide reaction was required to avert the danger presented by AMR.
Ms Adetuberu said, “Is the next disaster about to happen in the sense that if a medicine no longer work, the next step for anyone who falls sick is death; thus it is the next pandemic.”
Ms Adetuberu went on to say that AMR has the potential to disrupt the effectiveness of contemporary treatment and constitute a severe threat to public health. She highlighted the scope of the problem as worrying, adding that it was anticipated that by 2050, AMR will cause 10 million deaths per year.
According to the president, the amount of fatalities would cost the world economy $100 trillion. She stated that containing the threat of AMR is everyone’s duty in order to avoid the next global pandemic.
“Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most pressing and complex public health issues of our time.” Antimicrobial resistance has arisen as a result of antimicrobial usage and abuse, according to Ms Adetuberu. “It poses a threat to the effective treatment of infections in humans and animals and has the potential to undermine modern medicine’s progress.”
The promotion of appropriate antibiotics use in animals, as well as its use when essential for treating sick animals, was cited as a crucial solution to antimicrobial resistance by the NVMA president.
She urged farmers to use appropriate animal husbandry, such as proper cleanliness, bio-security measures, and immunization, in order to limit the need for antibiotics.
The president stated that veterinarians should embrace their position and collaborate to combat antibiotic resistance, and he recommended patients to stick to treatments prescribed by doctors and avoid self-medication.
“If you finish the dose prescribed by the doctor, do not go to the pharmacy and buy more; if you still feel sick, se your doctor for a recommendation,” the NVMA president stressed.
