Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen has expressed his grave concern over the alarming trend of increasing antibiotic resistance in the health sector worldwide and said it is an ominous sign.   

“Antibiotic resistance is spreading from humans to animals rapidly. It is a new ominous sign in the health sector globally. We all will have to work collectively to face a new threat,” he said while addressing a programme held at BRAC Centre in Mohakhali area of Dhaka on Monday.

He also urged the authorities concerned of all public and private sectors to work together to deal with the new threat and said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is also giving her utmost importance to the issue as she is co-chairing the Global Leaders Group on Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR).

The health minister also underscored the need to build awareness among people across the country regarding breast and cervical cancer.  

The doctors have nothing to do when a patient presents themselves to a doctor after testing positive for breast cancer, however, the disease is largely curable if it is diagnosed at an early stage, he said.

About the prevailing condition in the country’s health sector, Sen said there is a notable lack of coordination in the sector in some contexts. It would yield good results for people if the country’s public and private health sectors worked in a coordinated way, he added.