The Controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health, Dr Wong Ka-hing, today (November 17) urged the public and the healthcare sector to use antibiotics appropriately and wisely to prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

     Speaking at an award ceremony for a video competition in support of World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2016 of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Wong said that AMR has become one of the biggest threats to global public health, increasing the community's burden in terms of healthcare and financial costs. While the CHP is committed to enhancing public awareness of AMR, joint efforts with the healthcare sector and the community at large are crucial in containing the problem.

     "Always use antibiotics appropriately. Most upper respiratory tract infections do not require antibiotic treatment. When antibiotic is used to treat bacterial infections, doctors should make individual assessments for its choice and duration. Patients should adhere to the doctor's instructions and should not alter or stop the treatment on their own," Dr Wong said.

     Dr Wong added that as more evidence had shown that a shorter course of antibiotics had comparable effectiveness for treating bacterial infections, the CHP is working in collaboration with the Hospital Authority, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Medical Association to update the evidence-based Interhospital Multi-disciplinary Programme on Antimicrobial ChemoTherapy (IMPACT), which provides clinical guidelines on the use and choice of antibiotics.

     To tie in with World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2016 from November 14 to 20, the CHP today held an award presentation ceremony for schools and groups participating in a one-minute video competition under the theme "Use antibiotics wisely. Prevent antimicrobial resistance". The list of awardees will also be uploaded to the designated webpage.

     In addition, the CHP launched the "I Pledge" campaign on judicious use of antibiotics in 2014. In addition to healthcare professionals, the coverage of the campaign will be extended to the general public this year with a view to promoting responsible use of antibiotics in the community. Designated webpages on World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2016 and the "I Pledge" online registration have been set up to provide more information for the public.

     To date, more than 1 480 healthcare professionals including doctors, dentists, vets, nurses and pharmacists have signed the pledge.

     The WHO's Global Action Plan on AMR sets out the "One Health" approach in combating AMR. Locally, a multi-sectoral High-level Steering Committee on AMR has been established to tackle its threat to public health. The Expert Committee on AMR is reviewing the local situation and will later recommend to the Steering Committee on developing an action plan for containment of AMR in Hong Kong and tailoring it to local needs.

Ends/Thursday, November 17, 2016
Issued at HKT 18:19

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