WINDHOEK — Namibia commemorated World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week on Tuesday, an annual global campaign running from 18 to 24 November to increase awareness about AMR and prevent the spread of drug-resistant infections.

According to Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA), During a panel discussion at the Government Information Centre, Windhoek Central Hospital Medical Doctor Josef Shivute emphasized the need to correct common misconceptions about antibiotics use in Namibia. Other panelists included Mwangana Mubita, Head of Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of Namibia, veterinarian Lee-Monique Anderson from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, and registered nurse Maureen Hoes. Shivute addressed several false beliefs, such as antibiotics being effective for all infections, the notion that it’s safe to discontinue antibiotics once feeling better without completing the course, and the misuse of storing and reusing prescribed antibiotics for future illnesses. He clarified that antibiotics are primarily for bacterial infections, not illnesses like the flu, and emphasized the importance of completing the prescribed course to fully eliminate microbes. Storing antibiotics for later use can be problematic as they are meant for specific illnesses.

Hoes reiterated the significance of completing antibiotic courses, noting that failure to do so increases the risk of re-infection. She also highlighted risks in hospitals, such as bloodstream or urinary infections, stressing the need for precautions like proper waste disposal, sterilization of equipment, and appropriate protective gear.

Anderson discussed the misuse of antibiotics in animals, pointing out the risks it poses to food security and the well-being of subsistence farmers, as it affects animal reproduction. She emphasized the interconnectedness of human and animal health in the environment.