Clarify news on antibiotic-resistant infections, PM tells ministry

December 08, 2016 - 16:50

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has asked the health ministry to check the veracity of a newspaper report stating that Việt Nam ranks the top in the world in antibiotic-resistant infections.

People buying medicines at a pharmacy in Hà Nội. – Photo congly.vn
Viet Nam News

HÀ NỘI – Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has asked Ministry of Health to check the veracity of a newspaper report stating that Việt Nam ranks the top in the world in antibiotic-resistant infections.

The report, published in Việt Nam Law newspaper on December 2, quotes the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has listed Việt Nam among the countries with the highest antibiotic-resistant infections. The newspaper states that antibiotics can be purchased easily over the counter at pharmacies across the nation without the legally required prescription, which has led to antibiotic resistance among the populace.

Drug resistance also means that patients will have to spend more money on new drugs for treatment, the newspaper said.

The prime minister has asked the ministry check the information and report to him before December 15.

By 2050, resistance to antibiotics could lead to the deaths of ten million people a year globally, according to WHO. – VNS

 

 

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