The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced on the 24th that it will set a budget of NT$200 million to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Dr Wang Fu-Der, President of the Infection Control Society of Taiwan (ICST), noted that the problem of AMR has worsened over the past decade. Many patients have died from treatable diseases due to AMR. The CDC estimates that if no action is taken, approximately 33,000 people could die from AMR by 2025.
Dr Wang pointed out that the problem of drug resistance continues to escalate, despite hospitals strictly controlling the use of antibiotics. He emphasized that it requires coordinated government efforts to conduct a comprehensive assessment of antibiotic use in both humans and animals. Otherwise, any new innovative antibiotics will eventually become ineffective, leaving patients without options to control infections.
Cancer patients and those undergoing organ transplantation endure various difficult treatment procedures to survive; however, their efforts could be in vain if they become infected with antibiotic-resistant germs. Dr Wang expressed that the AMR crisis is a national issue that affects everyone. He urges hospitals to use antibiotics carefully to prevent AMR from worsening.
Dr Wang explained that a typical course of antibiotics lasts around 10-14 days, and the product life cycle is threatened by drug resistance. As a result, pharmaceutical companies prefer to invest in the research and development of more profitable treatments, such as cancer drugs and immunotherapies. Since new antibiotics are rare, it is essential to use them with extra care to prevent the development of drug resistance.
The management of antibiotics and in-hospital infection control are two critical steps in combating AMR. Infectious disease physicians play an important role in addressing this issue. However, they were not properly compensated for their work under the NHI reimbursement scheme. This year, things are expected to improve as the NHIA has finally allocated budgetary support to reward infection control staff.
【2024-09-24 / United Daily News】
