World MRSA Awareness Day and Month

Author: MRSA Survivors Network
Published: 2011/06/21 - Updated: 2022/03/02
Topic: MRSA Infections - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: World MRSA Day on October 2nd and World MRSA Awareness Month is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against healthcare acquired infections. So many people still do not know what MRSA is, how it is transmitted, prevented or treated and this includes healthcare and agricultural workers. We need more compassionate behavior towards people and animals. Many MRSA victims face financial hardships, permanent disability and now some are becoming homeless.

Introduction

The MRSA pandemic continues to be a major public health threat and crisis along with other antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and must become a top political priority worldwide. This year marks fifty years that MRSA emerged into the world.

Focus

World MRSA Day, October 2nd and World MRSA Awareness Month is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against MRSA, healthcare-acquired infections and antimicrobial resistance while increasing awareness, improving education, and emphasizing the importance of prevention through active detection and isolation (ADI).

MRSA Survivors Network urgently pleas for the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations (UN), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to finally recognize the MRSA pandemic and set up a worldwide surveillance program and strongly recommend pro-active implementation of ADI to control MRSA in healthcare facilities worldwide.

"It's up to all of us to help stop the spread of MRSA worldwide in humans, animals, in the environment and in our food supply," states Jeanine Thomas founder of World MRSA Day and MRSA Survivors Network. "So many people still do not know what MRSA is, how it is transmitted, prevented or treated and this includes healthcare and agricultural workers. We need more compassionate behavior towards people and animals. Many MRSA victims face financial hardships, permanent disability and now some are becoming homeless."

Recent data show that the treatment of MRSA bacteremia caused by strains of MRSA with slightly lower susceptibility to vancomycin (MIC>1 ugm/ml), which are increasing frequently, are associated with higher morbidity, mortality and treatment failures.

"The time for widespread implementation of ADI for MRSA at U.S. healthcare facilities is now," states Ms. Thomas.

This is reinforced by recent multi-center studies at both the Veteran's Administration (150 hospitals) and throughout the HCA system that have yet again documented that through implementation of ADI, MRSA rates can dramatically reduce, not just in intensive care units, but hospital-wide. If we are to really believe in patient safety, all healthcare facilities with endemic MRSA should fully implement ADI.

In the era of paying for performance, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (including the CDC) should be mandating that if ADI works to prevent and control MRSA in 150 VA hospitals, that all U.S. hospitals should implement the same program, reducing MRSA rates, improving patient safety and most importantly, saving lives.

MRSA Survivors Network, the prominent global non-profit organization was the first to raise the alarm about the MRSA epidemic in the United States and launched their global MRSA awareness campaign by founding and organizing the Chicago World MRSA Day kickoff event in 2009.

Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by MRSA Survivors Network and published on 2011/06/21, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, MRSA Survivors Network can be contacted at mrsasurvivors.org NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.