John Bruton
Ceist:165 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people who died in 2000 from infection against which no antibiotic was effective. [14492/01]
Written Answers. - Antibiotic Use.
John Bruton
Ceist:166 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the incidence of vancomycin resistant enterococci in hospitals. [14493/01]
John Bruton
Ceist:167 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children if any estimate has been made of the extent of over prescribing or inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics by general practitioners and, in particular, of the prescription of antibiotics for patients suffering from viruses for which antibiotics are inherently ineffective. [14495/01]
John Bruton
Ceist:168 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children if any estimate has been made, or research carried out on the extent to which people fail to complete courses of antibiotics, thereby reducing the effectiveness of these antibiotics when next used. [14496/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 to 168, inclusive, together.
The national disease surveillance centre was established in 1998 to collate, analyse and disseminate data on communicable disease here and to develop national strategies for the monitoring and control of infectious diseases. The data requested by the Deputy is not currently collected by the centre.
In 1999 my Department asked the centre to evaluate the problem of antibiotic resistance in Ireland and to formulate a strategy for the future. It has now completed its work and submitted a report. I propose to launch this document called the Strategy for Antimicrobial Resistance in Ireland on 19 June. The recommendations within SARI include national surveillance programmes for antibiotic resistance, including such pathogens as vancomycin resistant enterococci, as well as surveillance of antibiotic prescribing and use. The document also makes recommendations for implementing programmes to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use and improve the control and prevention of infection in hospitals and the community.