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The Department of Health (DH) today (April 7) called on healthcare professionals and the general public to work together on the safe use of antibiotics to combat drug resistance.
The call echoed World Health Organisation (WHO)'s initiative to combat antimicrobial resistance, which is the theme of World Health Day (WHD) this year.
Addressing a ceremony to celebrate WHD, jointly organised by DH and the Hospital Authority (HA) today, the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, said that DH, supported by experts from both public and private health sectors as well as academia, is taking the lead in controlling the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance and seeks to optimise the selection and use of antibiotics for the best benefits of patients.
He said, "Our work has been implemented with regard to the local context, while adopting multi-modal implementation strategies as advocated by WHO." The four main strategic directions adopted in Hong Kong in combating antibiotic resistance are Surveillance, Careful use of antibiotics, Infection control and Community Engagement.
During the ceremony, the Director-General of WHO, Dr Margaret Chan, thanked Hong Kong for its contribution to the WHO initiative. She appealed for immediate action to fight against antimicrobial resistance.
"The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens has accelerated," she said. "No action today means no cure tomorrow."
In the keynote lecture entitled "Coping in the World without Antibiotics", world renowned expert Professor Herman Goossens from the University of Antwerp, Belgium, who led the most successful national campaign on antibiotics in Europe, shared with local healthcare professionals the latest international developments in evidence-based infection control practices.
Also officiating at the ceremony, the Director of Health, Dr P Y Lam, stressed the importance of appropriate use of medicines and good infection control practices. He thanked all parties concerned, including experts and representatives from the Government, HA, universities, medical associations, private hospitals, and nursing homes for the elderly, for their concerted efforts in combating antimicrobial resistance.
Other officiating guests included, amongst others, the Chairman of HA, Mr Anthony Wu, and the Controller of the Centre for Health Protection, Dr Thomas Tsang.
Ends/Thursday, April 7, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:22
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