World Antibiotic Awareness Week launched in Moldova

15:17 | 14.11.2017 Category: Social

Chisinau, 14 November /MOLDPRES/ - The World Antibiotic Awareness Week (WAAW) was launched in Chisinau today. Within the Week, a string of public events will be held, titled, Ask for advice of qualified specialist in medical sector before taking antibiotics.

At a news conference, Health, Labour and Social Protection Minister Stela Grigoras said that the events due to be organized were aimed at informing and raising the awareness of the society as to the correct use of antibiotics, in order to prevent resistance to these preparations.

“At present, resistance to antibiotics is one of the biggest problems worldwide. Antibiotics should be used in continuation, yet, with much caution, in serious cases and only after consulting a physician. It is very important that the society understands the risks of taking antibiotics without consulting a doctor, among which the resistance to these preparations,” Stela Grigoras said.

The official noted that about 440,000 new cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis were recorded worldwide each year. “Among them, about 81,000 cases are registered in the European region of the World Health Organization, including Moldova. Antibiotics account for about ten per cent of the medicines used in Moldova and their annual consumption is on the rise. Therefore, the ministry continues undertaking measures to combat the resistance to antibiotics; to this end, a string of controls as regards the issuance of antibiotics by physicians are systematically organized,” Grigoras noted.

For his part, the deputy director general of the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA), Vsevolod Stamati, said that a string of actions were systematically undertaken, so that the antibiotics used do not remain as residua for animal products, which are afterwards supplied for consumption by people. “Within ANSA, we have a department which monitors medication and fodder. Inspections are carried out including at those who produce medicines. We also organize more seminars, in order to inform agents, producers and owners of animals about the correct consumption of medication and food products,” Stamati said.

The World Antibiotic Awareness Week has been marked in Moldova the third year in a row.

(Reporter A. Ciobanu, editor M. Jantovan)

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