The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu has revealed that government needs $21 million to effectively implement a five-year national plan to address the phenomenon of Anti-Microbial Resistance in the country.
The minister made the pronouncement during the launch in Accra, saying: “The implementation of the policy will bring a lot of benefits to us as a country. Food security will be assured, food safety, health security threat of resistance will also be abated, among others.”
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Wednesday, launched Ghana’s Anti-Microbial Resistance Policy and National Plan in Accra.
In his address at the event, the President noted that the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance is harmful to the country’s food security, aquaculture, and the environment as a whole.
“Our food supply chain is also not being spared, because antibiotic resistance is a major challenge to animal husbandry, fisheries and aquaculture sectors, as Ghanaian research has shown. Our environment is also at risk, because of the effluents from industry that keep polluting the soil and water bodies.”
The President added: “The phenomenon of anti-microbial resistance represents a grave threat to the realization of SDG 3, which warrants all our efforts being geared towards overcoming the resistance.”
He urged industry and the general public to join in the fight to deal with the phenomenon, stressing that the launch of the policy and action plan is a clear indication that the country is ready to address the problem.
