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AMERICAS: First Ladies Launch Child Health Initiative
The Pan American Health Organization and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have launched a child health initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat antibiotic resistance.
At a meeting of nearly three dozen first ladies from the Americas last week in Ottawa, Canada, US first lady Hillary Clinton announced a $2 million contribution from USAID to protect children in the region from infections. Diarrheal and respiratory infections are the major causes of deaths among infants and children in Latin America and the Caribbean, where antibiotic use is common.
The new initiative will monitor the impact of antibiotic resistance, and will provide training for doctors and pharmacists in administering antibiotics correctly. Countries with the highest threat of infection and where treatments are seriously endangered due to antibiotic resistance will receive priority assistance. Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Paraguay are included in the first stage of implementation.
(PAHO release, 1 Oct).