FV Hospital will implement antibiotics awareness activities targeting patients throughout the hospital for the sake of World Antibiotic Awareness Week.

The activities at FV from November 14 to 20 include displaying standees, handing out leaflets to patients and staff members, and issuing the FV Antimicrobial Therapy handbook to encourage doctors to further promote the prevention of antibiotics resistance, as well as guidelines for the proper usage of antibiotics.

World Antibiotic Awareness Week is an annual event launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2015. This year it will be held around the globe from 14 to 20 November with the theme: Antibiotics: Handle with Care.

The theme of the campaign reflects the overarching message that antibiotics are a precious resource and should be preserved. They should be used to treat bacterial infections only when prescribed by a certified health professional. Antibiotics should never be shared or saved for the future.

According to WHO, poor infection control, inadequate sanitary conditions and inappropriate food-handling practices encourage the spread of antibiotic-resistant microbes. As a result, medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body with an increased risk of spreading to others.

In recent years, we have witnessed the increasing threat of antibiotic-resistant diseases in Vietnam. According to the Ministry of Health, this will have a huge impact on the health of the population and undermine Vietnam’s healthcare system.

Additionally, the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture and the food industry helps to accelerate the process of antibiotic resistance, posing a risk to the security and sustainability of the food chain.

WHO is encouraging all member countries and the international community to join this campaign and help raise awareness of antibiotic resistance from November 14 to 20, 2016.