The support of the Ministry of Health to Muscat's call for combating antimicrobial resistance by implementing the World Health Organization's "One Health" health plan together with other countries and international organizations was confirmed by the Minister of Health, Mr. Michael Hadjipandela during his participation in the 3rd Global High Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance held in Oman. Hadjipandela congratulated the Sultanate of Oman for hosting the conference and added that the Ministry of Health is in line with efforts to strengthen national, regional and international surveillance systems, with the support of the Quadrilateral Organizations, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In his intervention, the Minister of Health said that Cyprus understands antimicrobial resistance as a major public health issue that threatens recent advances in human and animal health, the environment, food safety and economic development. Potential solutions, he added, would have to come from multiple sectors of human, animal, and environmental health. Without drastic change in existing medical practices to reduce infections and antibiotic use, he said, along with parallel investment in behavior change, antimicrobial resistance will increase. To achieve this goal, he concluded, surveillance of antibiotic consumption should be implemented through effective national and international systems, alongside the development of new antibiotics and diagnostic methods.
In closing, the Minister of Health expressed the wish that the commitments made at the conference would form the basis for further discussion at the United Nations General Assembly on antimicrobial resistance to be held in 2024.
During the proceedings of the Summit, Mr. Hajipandela met with Mr Hilal Al Sabti, Minister of Health of the Sultanate of Oman, Mr QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as well as with Mr Ernst Kuiper, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport of the Netherlands.
The Minister of Health was accompanied by Dr. Linos Hadjihannas, Infectious Diseases Pathologist of the OCYPY.
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