Bernard Allen
Ceist:562 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans for the implementation of the Strategy for the Control of Antimicrobial Resistance in Ireland report. [22063/01]
Written Answers. - Antimicrobial Resistance Control.
In 1999, my Department asked the National Disease Surveillance Centre to evaluate the problem of antimicrobial resistance in Ireland and to formulate a strategy for the future. The NDSC has given detailed consideration to these issues and has drawn up a Strategy for the Control of Antimicrobial Resistance in Ireland, SARI, which I launched on 19 June this year. This report contains a wide range of detailed recommendations to address the issue of antimicrobial resistance. These can be grouped into four categories, as follows: surveillance of resistance and antibiotic use; hygiene and prevention of infection; judicious use of antibiotics in hospitals and the community; and education of health care workers, patients and the general public.
Tackling the problem of antimicrobial resistance is a multi-faceted issue which will require action on a number of fronts. A three tier structure at local, regional and national level is proposed in this regard. Implementation of the strategy will take place on a phased basis over the next two to three years.
As a first step, £2 million has been provided in the current year to the health boards for antimicrobial resistance measures, taking into account the recommendations in SARI and in the North-South study of MRSA in Ireland 1999. The boards have been asked to address in particular infection control strategies and staffing in both hospitals and the community, the development of surveillance systems for the collection of antimicrobial resistance data and information on antibiotic prescribing in hospitals. In addition, funding has been provided for the establishment of an MRSA reference laboratory at St. James's Hospital in Dublin.