Minster Marks Antibiotic Awareness Week, 12-18 November 2012

Monday, 12 November 2012, 12:05 pm
Press Release: NPS

Today marks the beginning of global Antibiotic Awareness Week and for the first time in Australia, doctors, pharmacists, hospitals staff, and consumers alike will take part in a national program of activities designed to combat antibiotic resistance.

On Wednesday November 14, the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP, will join NPS MedicineWise and the Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care in Brisbane to mark Antibiotic Awareness Week and launch new data on Australian consumer attitudes to antibiotics.

Globally, there is growing concern that the misuse and overuse of antibiotics is contributing to the rapid development and spread of bacteria that antibiotics may not be able to treat. In fact, the World Health Organization has identified antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest threats to human health today.

With around 19 million prescriptions written every year, Australia has one of the highest rates of antibiotic use in the world. Combating antimicrobial resistance by encouraging the safe and appropriate use of antibiotics in hospitals and the community is a key focus for Australian state and territory governments.

2012 is the first year this global health initiative has been held as a nationally coordinated event in Australia. The event, held from 12 -18 November, is also recognised in Canada, the USA and Europe.

Over the course of this week, Australian consumers and health professionals will be encouraged to rethink the way they use or prescribe antibiotics to help fight the global spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

In Australia, Antibiotic Awareness Week is officially supported by the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases, the Australian Society for Antimicrobials, the Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care (The Commission), and by NPS MedicineWise as part of a five-year campaign to address antibiotic resistance in Australia.
ends

World Headlines

WORLD > >

USA: FEMA, Federal Partners Support Response To Severe Storms

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its federal partners, including the National Weather Service, continue to closely monitor the effects of severe weather that impacted Oklahoma and other areas within the Central United States, and at the President’s direction, are already providing resources to support the response. More>>

ALSO:

The White House - Readout of Obama's Call to Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin
National Weather Service - Oklahoma Weather Forecast: Storms Expected
American Red Cross - Red Cross Helping Tornado Victims Across the Midwest
National Weather Service - Pre-Tornado Severe Weather Warning

Syria: Number Of Syrian Refugees Tops 1.5 Million Mark

The United Nations refugee agency announced today that the number of Syrian civilians who have fled their country to escape conflict has passed the 1.5 million mark, while warning that the widening gap between the needs and resources available is becoming a huge challenge. More>>

Bangladesh: New Safety Agreement between Garment Industry and Workers

The United Nations labour agency today welcomed an agreement signed by international fashion brands and retailers, and trade unions to prevent workplace disasters. “The need for urgent improvement in workplace safety requires the industry to work together to implement a scalable and transparent plan of action... More>>

Pakistan: UN Secretary-General Hails Successful Elections In Pakistan

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated the Government and people of Pakistan on the successful conduct of national and provincial elections, hailing the polls, for which millions of voters turned out, as a major democratic step. More>>

United States: Monsanto Wins U.S. Supreme Court Case Over GM Soybean

Agricultural biotechnology company Monsanto won a patent infringement claim in the U.S. Supreme Court on 13 May 2013 against an Indiana farmer who planted genetically modified soybean seeds in violation of his agreement with Missouri-based multinational. More>>

Egypt: Risks Drifting Further Away From Human Rights Ideals

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Thursday urged the Egyptian Government to take steps to ensure that the current version of a draft law on civil society organizations is laid open to careful examination by Egyptian and international human rights experts, and, based on their advice, is brought into line with international standards, before it is adopted by the Shura Council. More>>

Fiji Military Government Unnerved By Union Info Campaign

Fiji's Military rulers have reacted angrily to an international union campaign to raise awareness over the stripping away of workers' rights in the Pacific nation. More>>

ALSO:

Image Martin Doyle - Martin Doyle Cartoon: Fiji Worth A Bash

West Papua: U.S. Must Condemn Indonesian Attacks On Papua Protesters

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) and West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT) strongly urge the U.S. government to condemn the unwarranted assault by Indonesian government security forces on peaceful May 1 demonstrations in West Papua. They called for U.S. security assistance to be curtailed... More>>