PHILIPSBURG--The Health Ministry’s Collective Prevention Services (CPS) is calling on health care providers to register to attend the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Information Session to be held in the Ministry of Public Health conference room at the Vineyard Office Park in Philipsburg on Tuesday, November 13.
The information session is being organised by CPS in connection with World Antibiotic Awareness Week (WAAW), November 12-18.
Health care providers are asked to RSVP by sending an email to
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The information session will cover some local data and presented by St. Maarten Laboratory Services (SLS) microbiologist R. Steingrover and a presentation of a case scenario by internist Samay Nadery of St. Maarten Medical Center.
The United Nations (UN) health agency, the World Health Organisation (WHO), has embarked on a campaign to make antibiotic resistance a globally recognised health issue and to raise awareness of the need to protect antibiotics through appropriate use.
AMR happens when microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites change when they are exposed to antimicrobial drugs such as antibiotics, antifungals, and antivirals. Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as “superbugs.” Medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others.
Antimicrobial resistance is a global concern because new resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening ability to treat common infectious diseases, resulting in prolonged illness, disability, and death. Without effective antimicrobials for prevention and treatment of infections, medical procedures such as organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy, diabetes management and major surgery (for example, caesarean sections or hip replacements) become very high risk.
