HAAD's Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report findings presented at Abu Dhabi Medical Congress 2012
Urgent action required to prevent and control further development and spread of multidrug-resistant organisms in Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
- (1888PressRelease) October 15, 2012 - Abu Dhabi, UAE - The 6th Abu Dhabi Medical Congress (ADMC), which got underway today at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), was officially inaugurated by His Excellency Zaid Al Siksek, CEO, Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD). The event continues on 15-16 October and is expected to attract more than 4000 professionals working in the Primary Healthcare, Emergency, Patient Safety, Rehabilitation, Dentistry and Nursing sectors across the region. The show expanded from 7,000 sqms in 2011 to more than 9,000 sqms this year, with more than 110 exhibitors from 25 different countries and 12 CME-accredited conferences.
Speaking during the official tour of the event, His Excellency Zaid Al Siksek, CEO, HAAD, said: "The Abu Dhabi Medical Congress reflects the improvements and advancements achieved in the healthcare sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and is an opportunity for all healthcare players in Abu Dhabi and the region to exchange knowledge and identify common challenges. The Congress is also an opportunity for investors to get an understanding on the industry business potential within the Emirate. In line with the continuous expansion of health services within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD) is pleased to support the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress as they work towards furthering the clinical and market interests of the healthcare industry in Abu Dhabi."
Amongst the highlights of this year's Abu Dhabi Medical Congress was the release of the findings of the Abu Dhabi Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2011 (AD ARS 2011) by the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD). Data analysis on the AD ARS 2011 report was conducted by an expert working group under the lead of HAAD and the findings were presented this morning by Dr. Jens Thomsen, Section Head, Occupational and Environmental Health, Public Health & Policy Division, HAAD.
"Overall, key findings of this report demonstrate that antimicrobial resistance levels of the fourteen most relevant groups of human pathogens against the key antibiotics needed for treatment of related infections, have reached a very concerning high level, compared to other countries, and to published historical local data," says Dr. Thomsen. "Urgent action is required to prevent and control the further development and spread of multidrug-resistant organisms. By developing an Antimicrobial Surveillance System, HAAD can hopefully reverse this trend."
According to Dr. Thomsen, Multi Drug Resistant Organisms (MDRO) infections often lead to increased morbidity and mortality and increased length of stay at the hospital and ICU, as well substantially increased costs. MDRO infections also often require treatment with second- or third choice drugs that may be less effective, more toxic, or more expensive. For example, studies have shown that an infection with MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) usually results in additional costs of AED 25,000-50,000 per MRSA-patient.
While 31,741 specimens were collected from 176 sources during the data collection, in particular the AD ARS 2011 report demonstrates that in Abu Dhabi Emirate more than a third of all Staphylococcus aureus isolates are already resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics (MRSA rate 34.3%), with 730 isolates of MRSA isolated across public healthcare facilities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. As many as 51% of all MRSA have additional resistances against other classes of antimicrobials (multidrug-resistant MRSA).
Organised by Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress is open to all trade visitors and healthcare professionals between 10.00am-5.30pm on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 October. For information, please call +971 3365161 or visit www.abudhabimed.com.
About Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions:
For more information, please visit www.informalifesciences.com.
About HAAD:
The Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) is the regulatory authority of healthcare sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi; it is responsible for ensuring excellent quality healthcare for the people of the Emirate. It defines the strategy for the health systems, monitors and analyses the health status of the population and performance of the system, shapes the regulatory framework for the health system, inspects against regulations and enforces standards, encourages adoption of world-class quality and performance targets by all providers of healthcare services, plans capacities and service levels, drives programs to improve societal health, defines the minimum standards for health service providers and health professionals, and regulates scope of services and premiums and reimbursement rates of providers and payers.
For media enquiries regarding HAAD, please contact:
Rami Mohammed Adwan
Media Specialist
Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD)
T: +971 2 419 3318
radwan ( @ ) haad dot ae
For media enquiries regarding Abu Dhabi Medical Congress, please contact:
Inga Stevens
Senior Communication Manager
Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions
T: +971 4 407 2743
Inga.stevens ( @ ) informa dot com
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