Medical students and veterinary students competed in their knowledge of the problem of antimicrobial resistance

Bishkek – The first quiz with questions about antimicrobial resistance took place on November 29 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The event was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in cooperation with the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University named after K. I. Skryabin and the Kyrgyz State Medical Academy named after I. K. Ahunbaev.

The quiz was part of World AMR Awareness Week. Medical students and veterinary students competed in their knowledge. In total, five teams of ten people participated in the quiz.

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global problem that requires international, regional and national interventions.

“Antibiotics play a crucial role in reducing the level of morbidity and mortality among both humans and animals,” said Cholpon Alibakieva, national technical adviser of the FAO Representation in the Kyrgyz Republic. “However, the emergence of new strains of microorganisms resistant to these drugs reduces their effectiveness over time.”

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance is increasingly limiting the possible treatments for human and veterinary medicine.

“Resistance to antimicrobials is a challenge that requires concerted efforts,” said Liviu Vedrasco, WHO Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic. “Only joint efforts can address the threat of resistance and preserve the efficacy of drugs for future generations.”

During the quiz, students were tested on issues related to antibiotic resistance. They answered questions about which bacteria could be resistant to antibiotics, how antimicrobial resistance was developing, what measures were being taken to combat the problem in Kyrgyzstan and globally. Participants were prohibited from using the Internet and mobile phones.

“The knowledge and competences that students receive at universities, in the future will help them to make the right prescriptions of medicines,” addressed to students Urusbek Begaliev, Dean of the KNAU Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. “Prescribe and provide antibiotics only if they are needed, and you have made every effort to verify and confirm what antibiotics are needed to treat your future human or animal patient.”

As a result of the quiz, the first and second places were taken by teams from the Medical Academy, bronze and third place went to students of KNAU. The winners were awarded with prizes and gifts from the event organizers.

The students expressed gratitude for the interesting and informative quiz, which helped them to better understand the problem of antimicrobial resistance and its consequences.