The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), in collaboration with the Uasin Gishu County Government, has inaugurated a County Antimicrobial Stewardship Inter-agency Committee for a two-year project on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which is being implemented by key stakeholders and partners.
The County AMR Stewardship Interagency Committee (CASIC) inception meeting held at the KRCS North Rift headquarters, Eldoret, in Uasin Gishu County brought together all relevant stakeholders, including representation of the national government led by the County Commissioner, Department of Health Services, veterinary services, learning institutions, and others, to discuss the project’s objectives, planned activities, and responsibilities of each partner.
KRCS North Rift Regional Head Oscar Okumu commended the Anti-Microbial Resistance—One Health Approach (AMR-OHA) programme that has come in handy to help in combating antimicrobial resistance through community engagement, capacity building, and effective monitoring and evaluation systems.
He reiterated the need to upscale the programme for more years upon successful implementation of the 2-year pilot project, as he called for collaborative efforts from key stakeholders and partners in order to achieve the goal of the project, which is to strengthen through the implementation of the One Health Approach (OHA) the capacities of the four countries in East Africa, namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, to prevent and respond to the growing scourge of AMR.
Uasin Gishu County Commissioner Dr. Eddyson Nyale indicated that the ongoing National Action Plan on Prevention and Containment of AMR 2023-2027 project was timely and needed immediate action from stakeholders in terms of commitment and dedication to see how to address the AMR issue through effective implementation, especially at the grassroots across Uasin Gishu, which he said was strategically placed in the region.
“This is a timely programme; it needs to be scaled down in terms of community engagement and sensitization. We should identify community groups which are mostly affected by antimicrobial resistance, like poultry farmers and others, in order to address this problem,” he noted.
Director of Veterinary Services, Uasin Gishu County, Dr. Philip Biamah, raised concern over the evident antimicrobial resistance in the county as he acknowledged the enormous challenge posed by antimicrobial misuse among farmers across the county.
He emphasised key mitigation measures that should be given priority, among them enhanced public awareness on good agricultural practices such as proper animal shelter construction and prescription based antibiotic administration among other aspects.
The Representative Director of Health Services, Uasin Gishu, Dr. Wenceslaus Kuria, appreciated the inception of the project and termed it as a viable project that was much needed.
He assured of the commitment and support of the Department of County Health Services towards the containment of AMR as he reiterated the essence of a multi-sectoral approach in public sensitization against AMR.
Project Officer Hazael Biwott took committee members through an overview of the National AMR Action Plan (NAP) 2023–2027, the coordination structure, the key six strategic objectives, the constitution of the National AMR Stewardship Interagency (NASIC) Committee, and the County AMR Stewardship Interagency Committees (CASIC).
He hinted at community diagnosis through One Health Clubs established in identified learning institutions like Moi University, the University of Eldoret, and the Rift Valley Technical Training Institute, which offer courses in human and animal health.
Through community diagnosis, the stakeholders will be able to assess the level of AMR and develop strategies to prevent and contain its impacts on human, animal, and environmental health.
The project officer underscored the fact that the second National AMR Action Plan, which no county has domesticated so far by developing County Action Plan on AMR, has key objectives which include governance and coordination through national and county AMR steering groups, knowledge and evidence through surveillance and research, and improving awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance through effective communication, education, and training.
Additionally, the plan aims to reduce the incidence of infection through effective sanitation, hygiene, and infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and to develop an economic case study for sustainable investment that takes into account the needs of Kenya and increases investment in new medicines, diagnostic tools, vaccines, and other interventions.
All counties are urged to adopt the plan in order to have County Action Plans on the prevention and containment of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
By Ekuwam Sylvester
