Participation of the Minister of Health in the Third Global High-Level Ministerial Conference for Antimicrobial Resistance in Oman
Download the CYPRUS TIMES APP! HERE for Android and HERE for iOS
The support of the Ministry of Health in the proclamation of Muscat to combat microbial resistance, implementing the “One Health” health plan of the World Health Organization together with other countries and international organizations, was confirmed by the Minister of Health, Mr. Michalis Hatzipantela during his participation in the 3rd Global High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance Held in Oman.
Mr. Hadjipantela congratulated the Sultanate of Oman for hosting the conference and added that the Ministry of Health is in line with efforts to strengthen national, regional and international surveillance systems, with the support of the quadripartite Organizations, in the framework of the agenda for sustainable development until 2030.
In his intervention, the Minister of Health stated that Cyprus perceives microbial resistance as a major public health issue that threatens recent advances in human and animal health, the environment, food safety and economic development. Possible solutions, he added, should come from multiple areas of human, animal, and environmental health. Without drastic change in existing medical practices to reduce infections and antibiotic use, he said, along with investment in behavioral change, microbial resistance will increase. To achieve this goal, he concluded, surveillance of antibiotic consumption should be implemented, with the implementation of effective national and international systems, alongside the development of new antibiotics and diagnostic methods.
Closing, the Minister of Health expressed the desire that the commitments in the context of the conference form a basis for further discussion at the United Nations General Assembly on antimicrobial resistance to be held in 2024.
