Guest Speaker Subha Shrestha (front) with Tim Inglis, Dr Christine Carson and President Barry
Our guest Subha Shrestha left her husband and 8yo son behind to come to Perth to undertake a PhD with our own Tim Inglis, and eventually take the technology she has learned here back to Nepal to help fight the threat of AMR – Anti-Microbial Resistance.
Subha completed a Master’s degree in medical laboratory science at the Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital, and then won a scholarship to come to Perth to do her PhD.
Nepal is virtually surrounded by China and India, which between them account for the manufacture of 70-80% of the world’s antibiotics. AMR is a growing threat, mainly because of the misuse of antibiotics, poor hygiene practices and the use of growth promotants in animal feeds.
Applecross Rotary is receiving a District Grant to help scope out an International Service project when Subha goes back to Nepal at the end of the year. The longer term aim is to have an implementation project that will increase Nepal’s laboratory capacity to rapidly diagnose the cause of infections and implement ways to combat their spread.
President Barry joined a chorus of people thanking Subha for her presentation, while reminding members that raising AMR and “One Health” Awareness is a goal for our Club for this and future years, and that he will be consulting wise men in the East in early October to discuss forming a world-wide RAG (Rotary Action Group) in 2020.