Accra: A study in selected care homes in the Greater Accra Region has found a high prevalence of drug-resistant urinary pathogens among Ghanaian elderly. The findings indicated that the elderly could constitute a significant reservoir of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), particularly among immunocompromised populations.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Emmanuel Armah, Assistant Research Scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), stated that the findings were based on nearly three years of surveillance involving about 200 people aged 50 years and above in care facilities for the aged. He made the disclosure when he presented a paper titled 'Candida and Bacterial Infections of the Urinary Tract of the Elderly: Implications for Antimicrobial Stewardship among Residents of Ghanaian Elderly Nursing Care Homes' at the 2026 Mid-Year Review of the Institute in Accra.
Mr. Armah explained that the study assessed antimicrobial resistance among elderly Ghanaians residing in aged-care homes. Early-morning urine samples were collected from participants and screened for urinary tract infections using microbial diagnostic tools, while Polymerase Chain Reaction was employed to assess the genetic determinants of the uropathogens.
The project, supported by the Foundation to Prevent Antibiotic Resistance (PAR), also highlighted concerns regarding the improper use of antibiotics, self-medication, personal hygiene, and nutrition. Mr. Armah advised care homes against routine empirical use of antibiotics without microbiological evidence and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST).
He emphasized the need for caregivers to adhere to proper hand hygiene practices to help prevent infections. The scientists are collaborating with stakeholders to raise awareness of antimicrobial resistance and mitigate its effects on the elderly through education and advocacy. Medical scientists regard antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a serious threat to healthcare that requires urgent attention.
Day Three of the Mid-Year Review was chaired by Professor Mike Osei-Atweneboana, immediate-past Director of CSIR-WRI, under the theme: 'Water-Environment-Food-Health Nexus: Building Resilience for the Future'. Other papers presented included 'Plastic on the Menu: Microplastics (MPs) in Aquatic Foods, and Coastal Waste in Ghana - From Environmental Contamination to Human Exposure and Policy Action', and 'Urban Sanitation Infrastructure Performance, Antimicrobial Realities and Physicochemical Quality: A Case of the Ashaiman Wastewater Treatment Plant'.