Seminar panellists highlight antibiotics resistivity

PESHAWAR: Panelists at a seminar here on Thursday highlighted the global issue of antibiotics resistivity.

The World Antimicrobial Awareness Seminar (WAAS)-2022 was held under the theme of “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together” at Khyber Medical University. The event was organized by the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (IBMS) and Public Health Reference Laboratory (PHRL), Khyber Medical University (KMU), in collaboration with the Dosti Welfare Organization (DOSTI) and Global Education Campaign (GEC) in connection with World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective, and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.

During the panel discussion, Prof Dr Rubina Nazli, Dean of IBMS Khyber Medical University, talked about the Clinical Perspectives of Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria, and Dr Sumaira Afzal, Director of the Center of Biotechnology and Microbiology University of Peshawar, spoke about Antibiotics and the Mechanism of Resistance to Antibiotics.

Registrar KMU Prof Dr Muhammad Saleen Gandapur, was chief guest, while Director Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (IBMS) Dr Inayat Shah welcomed all participants. Irfan Khan, the Dosti representative, briefed the audience about the event and its importance.

Dr. Ibrar Khan, Associate Professor at the Center of Biotechnology and Microbiology University of Peshawar, briefed the audience about Infection Prevention of the Control of Antimicrobial Resistance.

The event was moderated by Dr Taj Ali Khan, associate professor at KMU, where more than 300 participants attended the seminar. This interactive event provided an opportunity for all participants to ask questions from the field experts and ended with an awareness walk.