A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between US drug firm Pfizer Viet Nam and HCM city-based Cho Ray Hospital to partner on a antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programme.
Director of Cho Ray Hospital Nguyen Tri Thuc said this cooperation programme will support the implementation and dissemination of the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the country.
“It will also contribute to increasing awareness about AMR among healthcare professionals and the public, and promote the development of policies to improve the effectiveness of antibiotics,” he said.
The problem of AMR poses a significant threat to public health, animal health and the environment.
It reduces the effectiveness of antibiotics, leading to multidrug-resistant (MDR) and drug-resistant (XDR) pathogens.
It also has grave economic effects leading to higher medical costs and prolonged hospital stays.
Darrell Oh, general director at Pfizer Viet Nam, said Pfizer has sponsored various projects on AMS globally, and recognised that AMR can only be prevented with the combination of good stewardship and innovative antibiotics.
“Addressing AMR in a timely manner can bring long-term benefits to health and development in Viet Nam, therefore we need collective efforts and bold innovations to truly win this battle,” he said.
Aiming to increase awareness about AMR, Pfizer has been working on the AMS programme in Viet Nam by co-organising a series of scientific workshops and campaigns with national hospitals, universities and medical associations.
The programme will be implemented with seven main aspects, including a scientific conference, an AMS training programme, an app for training, support for early diagnosis, an AMS forum, raising awareness about AMR for patients, increasing community knowledge about AMS, and AMS surveillance.
Pfizer will strengthen cooperation to execute the AMS partnership programme nationwide.
Viet Nam was one of the first countries in Asia to develop a national action plan against AMR in 2013.
However, the increase in antibiotic consumption in hospitals and the community, as well as the overuse of antimicrobial drugs in the animal health sector after the COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges to the AMS programme. — VNS