By Emmanuel Yokoniya

Lilongwe, Mana: The Lilongwe Cycling Club (LCC) on Monday joined Ministry of Health to raise awareness about the dangers of Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) in the country.

The cycle, which started at Gateway Mall with 78 club members who covered a 43 kilometre distance through the Lilongwe Bypass Road with some stops in busy markets such as Zankutu, Wakawaka, Biwi and City Centre, had a message on how to combat antibiotics resistance related deaths.

LCC Chairperson, Amos Nyambo told Malawi News Agency (MANA) that hundreds of people were reached out through distribution of fliers and direct talking to those that gathered at different places.

“We are primarily into promotion of fitness in people and upon realisation that antibiotics resistance weakens people’s bodies, we though it wise to participate in this campaign to help people understand its causes and prevention,” Nyambo said.

He, however, asked the club’s members to take messages about antibiotics resistance to their respective communities and churches in order to reach as many people as possible.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO) AMR occurs when bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites evolve and become more resistant to medicines hence becoming harder to treat the increasing risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

In a separate interview Antimicrobial Resistance National Coordinator in the Ministry of Health, Watipaso Kasambara described the problem as increasing in the country, hence the need to take only antibiotics under the prescription of a doctor and ensure finishing the dosage.

“We have noted that many people in the country take antibiotics without doctor’s prescription and they do not finish the dosage which leads to the body’s resistance to medicines at some point in time. This is why we have involved different stakeholders in the awareness campaign with an aim of reducing antibiotics resistance related deaths,” said Kasamabara.

WHO estimates that globally 700, 000 people die every year due to antibiotics resistance related causes and projects 10 million deaths by 2050 if nothing tangible is done in an attempt to deal with the situation.

Malawi, through Ministry of Health, joined the rest of the world in commemorating Antimicrobial Awareness Week (AWW) from 18 to 24, November 2022 with a symposium at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC).

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