Health Ministry launches national guidelines to strengthen patient safety, combat AMR

The Ministry of Health, through the Korea-World Bank Partnership Facility, has officially launched the National Guidelines for the Mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and the National Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Standards for Healthcare Facilities.

These guidelines provide practical, evidence-based frameworks to reduce infections, improve antimicrobial use, and strengthen the delivery of safe, high-quality healthcare across Guyana.

At the launch, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, pointed out that implementation and compliance are critical, noting that IPC standards will be integrated into facility assessments and licensing for both public and private institutions.

The Minister also highlighted ongoing efforts to modernise the health system, including improved medicine tracking through the Health Ministry’s Materials Management Unit, the rollout of electronic health records, as well as significant investments in laboratory strengthening and national surveillance systems.

The initiative will bring together key healthcare stakeholders and marks a unified commitment to improving patient outcomes and safeguarding public health.

Among those present were Project Consultant, Dr Shazeema Shaw, and World Bank Task Team Representatives (Guyana Health Sector), Behnaz Bonyadian and Federica Secci.