GoJo makes commitment to antibiotic stewardship

AKRON, Ohio — GoJo pledged its commitment to antibiotic stewardship at the White House Forum on Tuesday.  GoJo was among 150 companies at the White House Forum to announce commitments over the next five years to slow the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, detect resistant strains, preserve the efficacy of existing antibiotics and prevent the spread of resistant infections.

 

“A primary prevention approach to reduce the need for antibiotics is effective hand hygiene,” Joe Kanfer, chairman and CEO of GoJo, who is attending the Forum, said. “As we know, hand hygiene is one of the best measures you can take to prevent the spread of illness-causing germs. Staying healthy and preventing infections from happening is a very effective way to reduce the use of antibiotics. This is why practicing good hand hygiene — handwashing and hand sanitizing — is so important to overcoming the challenge of antibiotic resistance. We look forward to working with other organizations that share this dedication to improving public health.”

 

Last year, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order launching Federal efforts to combat the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The Administration also issued its National Strategy on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, which outlines steps the U.S. government will take to improve prevention, detection and control of resistant pathogens. Earlier this year, the White House released its National Action Plan to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, an effort that identifies critical actions to be taken by government over the next five years. In addition, the President's FY 2016 Budget proposed nearly doubling the amount of Federal funding for combating and preventing antibiotic resistance to more than $1.2 billion.