Kisumu: Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) has intensified its push to curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR), warning that misuse and overuse of antibiotics is fuelling tougher infections across the Lake Region. The call came as health workers, students, and partner institutions marked this year's World Antimicrobial Awareness Week under the global theme 'Act Now: Protect the Present, Secure Our Future.'

According to Kenya News Agency, JOOTRH Senior Director for Clinical Services Dr. Dedan On'ong'a stated that the region is already facing a silent but escalating crisis, with infections that once responded to standard treatment now requiring stronger, costlier medicines. He emphasized that antimicrobial resistance is occurring in hospitals and warned of the need for action across human health, animal health, food systems, and the environment to preserve life-saving medicines.

A significant area of concern is infection prevention within hospitals. Dr. On'ong'a urged health workers to adhere to established guidelines to reverse the trend. Studies show that 20-40 percent of healthcare-associated infections arise from contaminated hands of health workers. To combat this, JOOTRH has tightened traffic control, reinforced patient-preparation protocols, and intensified decontamination practices across its wards and theatres.

Dr. On'ong'a called on other facilities in the region to submit samples to the JOOTRH microbiology laboratory to guide evidence-based prescribing, stating, 'You cannot fight AMR without data.' He cautioned that if AMR continues unchecked, routine medical procedures could become increasingly dangerous.

Nurse Jeriah Kwamboka, an Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) champion, highlighted the consequences of lapses in hygiene, stating that missed hand-washes lead to unnecessary infections, which in turn require antibiotics that are losing their effectiveness.

Pharmacist Dr. Cynthia Atieno expressed concern over the growing misuse of strong antibiotics like third-generation cephalosporins. She noted that antibiotics are often misused for viral illnesses, doses are not completed, and leftover medicines are shared, behaviors that accelerate resistance.

Dr. Vivian Anyango, a colleague of Dr. Atieno, stressed the responsibility of pharmacists as the last gatekeepers between a patient and a drug, emphasizing the need for proper prescriptions, dosing, and patient counseling.

Students from the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, and KMTC were also present, expressing eagerness to take up frontline roles in IPC. KMTC nursing student Janet Achieng' noted that proper hand hygiene and PPE use at the bedside can drastically reduce infections, leading to fewer antibiotics and complications.