The conference will consider strategies to control hospital associated infections (HCAIs), including best practice programmes and ways of monitoring and auditing the use of antibiotics in hospitals, and improving prescribing quality.
Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride, who will open the meeting said: “Healthcare associated infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile are a major concern to governments, health professionals and the public alike.
“There is a definite link between HCAIs and antibiotic usage. The emergence of multi-resistant micro-organisms has occurred because of the extensive use of antibiotics. Yet modern medicine depends upon having effective antibiotics.
“So to minimise the emergence of new resistant organisms, and the problems which they cause in healthcare infection, we must improve our understanding of what is meant by ‘appropriate’ antibiotic use and what support prescribers need to achieve this.”
The conference will be attended by some 100 microbiologists, infection control nurses, biomedical and surveillance scientists and others from both sides of the border who meet annually to review progress on the problem of increasing antibiotic resistance.
Notes to Editors:
- The conference will take place at the Radisson SAS Hotel, 3 Cromac Street, Belfast from 10.15am. It is the 4th annual conference of AMRAP and SARI.
- The European Commission sponsored a meeting in Copenhagen in 1998 to consider ‘The Microbial Threat’ posed by the rising prevalence of antibiotic resistant micro-organism such as MRSA and many others.
- National Governments and devolved administrations responded by developing strategies within their own jurisdictions and the Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan (AMRAP) was launched by Northern Ireland in 2002 and the Strategy for the Control of Antimicrobial Resistance in Ireland (SARI) in 2001.
- In September 2007, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey introduced specific targets for MRSA and Clostridium difficile as part of the drive to reduce HCAIs.
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