Beijing – Chinese experts have suggested regulating the use of antimicrobial drugs nationwide in response to threat of antibiotic resistance.
The National Health Commission (NHC) issued a circular in March, requiring measures to contain the fast increasing antimicrobial resistance of carbapenems, the most powerful antibiotics.
A 2017 report suggests that 20.7 per cent of commonly existing pseudomonas aeruginosa and 56.1 per cent of acinetobacter baumannii, which are likely to cause infections in hospitals, are resistant to carbapenems.
Failure to prevent or control antibiotic resistance will lead to difficulties in curing commonplace infections, longer hospital stays and even increased mortality, experts said.
Doctors should prescribe suitable antibiotics of appropriate doses, and hospitals should put guidelines on infection prevention and control into effect, said Yang Xiaoqiang, an expert with the NHC.
Liu Xiaolin, Deputy General Secretary of the Chinese Pharmacists Association, suggested efforts to improve supervision of the clinical use of antimicrobial drugs.
Similarly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Tuesday urged local authorities to step up efforts to prevent and control the crop-eating pest, fall armyworm.
Fall armyworm was first detected in China in January 2019 and has spread across China’s Southern and Southwestern areas, affecting 92,267 hectares of farmland in 14 provincial-level regions including Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou and Henan.
After invading the African continent in 2016, the pest then spread to India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and six other Asian nations in 2018.
The pest has wreaked havoc in many countries, leading to a 20 per cent to 30 per cent reduction in corn and sugarcane output in parts of Africa and Asia.
Some areas even saw complete crop failures.
The ministry urged local authorities to strengthen monitoring and early warning of the pest and provide scientific guidance on pest control.
Agricultural departments at all levels should intensify their promotion of information on fall armyworm and training of agricultural technicians and farmers for controlling the pest, the ministry said. (Xinhua/NAN)
