International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

It is a worldwide opportunity to focus on key public health issues, and it is a springboard for longer-term advocacy programmes.

World Health Day 2011 focuses on ‘Antimicrobial resistance and its global spread’, a very important issue to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) in its capacity as a leading women’s health organisation, representing national gynecological and obstetrical societies in 124 countries/territories. 

Infection is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in the developing world, where 90 per cent of global maternal mortality occurs. 

What is ‘antimicrobial resistance’?

‘Antimicrobial agents are considered "miracle drugs" that are our leading weapons in the treatment of infectious diseases. Antimicrobial resistance is the ability of certain microorganisms to withstand attack by antimicrobials, and the uncontrolled rise in resistant pathogens threatens lives and wastes limited healthcare resources.’ (SOURCE: WHO)

This resistance threatens the continued effectiveness of many of today’s medicines, and risks undermining the progress being made across the world against major infectious diseases. 

In 2001, WHO’s Global Strategy for Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance was launched, recommending interventions that can be used to slow the emergence and spread of resistance in a variety of settings. 

WHO continues to press governments and stakeholders to implement policies and practices to prevent and counter highly resistant superbugs, and, in addition, to help provide appropriate care to those affected. 

The WHO public awareness campaign includes special focus on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. 

What causes resistance?

A resistant microbe can spread from source to almost anywhere in the world within 24 hours. Many global trends have helped to accelerate the spread and speed of infection, including factors such as:

•          Urbanisation  (eg overcrowding, poor sanitation etc) 

•          Pollution

•          Environmental degradation

•          Weather patterns (affecting the incidence and distribution of infection)

•          ‘Inappropriate’ use of antimicrobials also contributes to the problem - this occurs when they are taken for too short a time, at too low a dose, at inadequate potency, or for the wrong disease

•          Poor infection prevention and control practices

FIGO’s stance: The worldwide challenge for healthcare professionals

‘Antimicrobial resistance and its global spread’ is a challenge to all healthcare providers, including those concerned specifically with women’s wellbeing. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics is well positioned to highlight global hygiene challenges facing medical professionals and believes that all healthcare providers have a responsibility to help prevent patients acquiring infections. In particular, FIGO believes that the development of drug-resistance to HIV is of particular concern (there has been an expansion in access to anti-retroviral medicines in past years). 

Prevention of post-partum and post-abortive infections and unsafe abortion and their effective treatment with antimicrobials are of particular significance in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. Prevention and effective treatment of post-operative infection in gynecological surgical procedures reduce women’s morbidity and mortality, save healthcare resources and prevent incidence of long-term health sequelae. 

WHO’s important call to action

‘Antimicrobial resistance and its global spread’ is a complicated issue - WHO is therefore urging a global collaborative response to its many critical challenges, encapsulating the following areas:

•           policy guidance, support for surveillance, technical assistance, knowledge generation and partnerships, including through disease prevention and control programmes

•           essential medicines’ quality, supply and rational use

•           infection prevention and control

•           patient safety

•           laboratory quality assurance  

On World Health Day, WHO will issue an international call for action to halt the spread of antimicrobial resistance and it will recommend a six-point policy package for governments.

Key stakeholders, including policy-makers and planners, the public and patients, practitioners and prescribers, pharmacists and dispensers, and the pharmaceutical industry, will be encouraged to act and take responsibility for combating antimicrobial resistance.

(SOURCE: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs194/en/index.html) 

Looking to the future

FIGO believes that World Health Day 2011 provides a fitting platform from which to highlight the critical issue of ‘Antimicrobial resistance and its global spread’, and hopes that all relevant stakeholders will work collaboratively - on a global basis - to help decrease this very real and present threat to world health. 

Sources/useful links

http://www.who.int/world-health-day/en/

http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2011/en/index.html 

http://www.who.int/topics/drug_resistance/en/index.html

http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2011/world-health-day2011-brochure.pdf