BMH experts raise alarm over rising antimicrobial resistance

DODOMA: HEALTH experts at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH) have warned that antimicrobial resistance is rising at an alarming rate, posing a serious threat to the effective treatment of common infections.

The concern was raised during a medical training session at the hospital, where specialists emphasised the growing ability of disease-causing organisms to withstand medicines designed to eliminate them.

BMH Director of Supportive Services, Dr Abdallah Baja, said microbes are increasingly developing the strength and defence mechanisms to survive available treatments, rendering many drugs less effective and exposing patients to greater health risks.

Presenting a paper at the session, Paediatric Specialist and Chairperson of the BMH Medicines and Therapeutics Committee, Dr Emmy Mbilinyi, explained that antimicrobials include medicines that kill fungi, viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing parasites.

He said limited public awareness continues to fuel the problem, with key causes including the misuse of medicines without medical guidance, failure to complete prescribed doses and the use of antibiotics without laboratory evidence to justify treatment.

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He noted other contributors such as self-medication, consumption of plant and animal products containing residual antimicrobials and health workers ignoring treatment guide lines.

BMH Laboratory Manager, Dr Farida Mbura, underscored the need for clinicians and other healthcare providers to strictly follow diagnostic and treatment protocols to slow the spread of drug-resistant infections.

Meanwhile, Neurosurgeon Dr Mugisha Nkoronko stressed the importance of educating all patients attending BMH about antimicrobial resistance, adding that wider public sensitisation through the media is essential to promote responsible use of medicines.

“Right diagnosis, right treatment, right time and right dose — these are the pillars that must be upheld to protect the effectiveness of our medicines,” he added.