The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine has urged pharmacists to take the lead in the fight against antimicrobial resistance which is on the rise among Ugandans.
“We still see a lot of misuse and irrational medicine use because of the access of medicine anywhere at any one time. With no prescription, people are still going to pharmacies to get medicine but don’t know the catastrophic impact they are to get,” Dr.Atwine said.
“We have done assessment in our regional and national referral hospitals and picture is worrying. We have seen many of our patients lose lives because we have run out of options for treatment. We want to see all of us get to know this is a time bomb for the country and we need to deal with it.”
She was speaking during the annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) event organized by the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) in Kampala on Thursday.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist the effects of the medicines designed to kill them. This renders standard treatments ineffective, allowing infections to persist and spread, potentially resulting in prolonged illness or death.
Dr.Atwine asked pharmacists to take the lead in fighting the problem.
"We end up losing the people. This is a big concern for us, because right now, antibiotics seem to be effective yet those that are effective, are extremely expensive. A dose goes to over even one million. That means that not many people will afford to get such medicine because they are expensive but also only found in the big pharmacies in Kampala,” Dr.Atwine said.
The Health Ministry Permanent Secretary urged pharmacists to take the lead in fighting this problem.
She added that pharmacists should go beyond scientific presentations and conference statistics to actively implement systems and safeguards that prevent irrational drug access.
“Antimicrobial resistance should not end at documentation and academic presentations. We must all work together — pharmacists, clinicians, and the wider community — to place real barriers that slow this trend.”
Dr. Jonans Tusiimire, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda, echoed the Permanent Secretary’s concerns. He stated that the Society has already implemented several initiatives to raise awareness about antimicrobial resistance, particularly during the annual World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.
“As a Society, we recognize antimicrobial resistance as a serious threat. Every year, we commemorate Antimicrobial Awareness Week with a variety of activities involving pharmacists, interns, and students to spread awareness among healthcare workers and the general public,” said Dr. Tusiimire.
He added that they harness the energy and outreach of pharmacy students and interns to carry this message far beyond academic institutions.
“We consistently educate communities that it’s not safe to self-medicate. Just because an antibiotic worked for you last time doesn’t mean it’s appropriate now. The public needs to understand that indiscriminate use of antibiotics only worsens the problem.”
Dr. Tusiimire reaffirmed PSU’s commitment to ongoing public education and professional engagement to curb antimicrobial misuse.
