Antibiotic resistance in Cambodia sparks new health policy

 11-Feb-15, The Cambodia Daily

Pharmacists in Cambodia have a particular affinity for prescribing antibiotics, so much so that resistance to the drugs has become a public health problem worthy of a national response.

Image: PharmaD India

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—when micro-organisms in humans develop resistance to drugs such as antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials—makes standard treatment for both simple and high-risk diseases ineffective. For people who have developed AMR, minor infections can be deadly.

Although Cambodia was the first country in the world to impose an official ban on artemisinin-based monotherapy to prevent resistance to anti-malaria drugs, regulations around those used to treat more common illnesses are largely ignored. 

Over the past 12 months, together with the WHO and other organizations, the ministry has developed a National Policy to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance in Cambodia and an associated three-year plan for implementation.

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