Laboratory findings from Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) are indicating a growing resistance of germs to two widely used antibiotics: Penicillin and Amoxicillin.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is the ability of germs like bacteria, viruses, and fungi to withstand drugs designed to kill them, such as antibiotics. It happens as the germs evolve to survive treatment, making infections harder to treat and posing a global health threat. Factors like the overuse and misuse of medicines accelerate the process.
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What next?
Dr Noel Gahamanyi, the Head of the Microbiology Unit at RBC, told The New Times that the next steps will depend on hospitals’ deeper assessments of how resistant the microbes are. He explained that the two medicines are not expected to be phased out entirely because resistance is not absolute. Here, he pointed out that there are some hospitals where they remain effective.
He added that there are improved formulations of such medicines that could be used to reduce resistance.
"For instance, amoxicillin has an augmented version combined with clavulanic acid,” he said.
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Gahamanyi urged clinicians to make full use of hospital bacteriology services before prescribing antibiotics. "Please benefit from the bacteriology service that you have,” he said, pointing out that RBC is mentoring hospitals to maintain quality standards, preserve specimens for long-term monitoring.
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Elizabeth Mukagatare, Head of Biomedical Services at RBC, explained that AMR has long been a deadly but under-recognised threat. She said misuse of medicines enables the microbes to become resistant.
Mukagatare also warned the public to follow dosage instructions strictly, adding that pharmacists "need to give people medicines which they are ordered by the healthcare providers,” except basic supportive medicines such as those for temperature control.
According to Denyse Niyoturamya, Professional Operations Manager at the National Pharmacy Council, AMR is already a major public health concern. She pointed out a number of issues in pharmacies that may increase the risk of AMR. These include easy access to antibiotics, which leads many patients to bypass health facilities that have to prescribe them first.
The second, she said, is the public belief that "purchasing antibiotics without a prescription is acceptable,” often putting pharmacists under pressure. The third, she says, is the business side of pharmacy ownership, where some employers "comply with customer’s demand for commercial gains”.
To reverse the trend, she said pharmacists and owners need behaviour-change training, while regulators must "hold accountable those who don’t comply”.
The council has contributed to the new National Action Plan on AMR, increasing training for pharmacy professionals, and leading awareness activities during World AMR Awareness Week.
"There is a need for more partners to be involved in educating the general public and holding accountable those who don’t comply with prescription only dispensing directions established by Rwanda FDA,” she said.
Dr. Lisine Tuyisenge, General Secretary of the Rwanda Paediatric Association, said there must be a policy and stronger measures against just buying any medicines without the healthcare professionals’ order.
Marcel Ishimwe, Founder and President of AMR Initiative Rwanda, a non-profit organisation dedicated to combating antimicrobial resistance by promoting the responsible use of antimicrobials, said that resistance to older, commonly used drugs like penicillin and amoxicillin is reported across many African referral hospitals.
Ishimwe warned that "clinically, this reduces options for empiric outpatient therapy and increases reliance on broader or more expensive medicines, which risks further resistance.”