Georgetown : As Guyana joins the rest of the world in observance of World Health Day emphasis is being placed on recommitting to long productive and disability free lives. With this in mind, the Health Ministry launched a campaign today under the theme, “Be Wise, Know when your antibiotics work”.
Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy while addressing media operatives at the launch at his Ministry said that health in Guyana has come a far way from a recoded 14,000 deaths annually over the last 20 years to an average 6000.
“Guyana has done an excellent job in reducing mortality in our country. During that period most of the deaths were due to infectious diseases but that has been reduced as not so many people are dying because of these infectious diseases,” he said.
He added that as the country observes World Health Day 2011, there is no doubt that outstanding progress has been made and as such, society should not underestimate the benefits derived thus far, from the use of antimicrobials.
A call was also made by the Health Minister to society to act wise and to know when antibiotics work since there is an even greater harm when an individual’s body becomes immune to a medication.
“Misuse of antibiotics is one of the reasons why bacteria develop resistance. Today we are urging health care providers to be more prudent in the private sector since it is a commercial thing and an opportunity to sell medicine,” he said.
