LUTH gets global antimicrobial stewardship accreditation

Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) says it has achieved the target of meeting the quality standards set by the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) Global Antimicrobial Stewardship Accreditation Scheme (GAMSAS).

This accreditation is a significant milestone for LUTH in the field of antimicrobial stewardship.

The Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof Wasiu Adeyemo, said this at a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday.

According to Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, BSAC GAMSAS is a global accreditation scheme that establishes a high level of quality that any AntiMicrobial Stewardship (AMS) programme must surpass to be considered proficient in the safe and effective use of antibiotics.

“AMS is a collection of activities that supports safe and effective use of antibiotics without risks of harm or danger which helps keep AntiMicrobial Resistance (AMR) at bay.

“We are proud to be the first organisation in Africa to achieve BSAC GAMSAS accreditation.

“This accreditation demonstrates our dedication to reducing the threat of AMR globally by supporting healthcare personnel, who are responsible for safe use of antibiotics,” Adeyemo said.

He said that the accreditation process was supported by the BSAC GAMSAS team, and LUTH management acknowledges their assistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health threat.

He said it ooccurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites that cause harmful diseases change over time and no longer respond to the medicines that were once effective in treating them, due to their unnecessary use.

According to him, AMR can lead to longer and more expensive hospital stays, increased risks of death, and the spread of infections to others.

Adeyemo emphasised that LUTH is dedicated to providing high-quality care to its patients, and BSAC GAMSAS accreditation is a significant step in their efforts to combat AMR and support antimicrobial stewardship.

This accreditation demonstrates LUTH’s commitment to monitoring and managing the appropriate use of antibiotics through a formal antimicrobial stewardship programme.

Prof. Oyin Oduyebo, Chairman of LUTH’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee, explained that the goals of antimicrobial stewardship was optimising antimicrobial therapy.

Oduyeo said that others were reducing treatment-related costs, minimising adverse events, and decreasing the risk of antimicrobial resistance development.

She said that the GAMSAS accreditation serves as a testament to LUTH’s commitment to antimicrobial stewardship and its dedication to ensuring that antimicrobial drugs would continue to be effective for future patients.

Omolola Fakeye, Head of LUTH’s Corporate Services Division, expressed that the accreditation was a significant achievement for the hospital.

Fakeye said the accreditation represented another step in the right direction for LUTH’s pursuit of excellence in healthcare.

According to Fakeye, LUTH has fulfilled one of its tenets or accomplishments.

“Its tenets are research training and service, and you can see service and research coming together which now culminate into training.

“The service to our patients has brought about this antimicrobial stewardship certification.

“This is because we began to see that there are restrictions to medications, to antibiotics, and that people are taking them wrongly, which necessitated the study,” she said.