Antimicrobials are medicines which are used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants. They include antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, antiparasitic.
Antimicrobial resistance happens when bacteria, virus, fungi and parasite evolve and change their form over time and no longer respond to the medicines. This makes infections harder to treat. It increases the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. As a result of drug resistance to antibiotics, infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.
Antimicrobial resistance is a global health and development threat now. It requires urgent action from various sectors in order to achieve the sustainable development goals. WHO has declared that antimicrobial resistance is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity.
Causes of of antibiotic resistance:
Misuse and overuse of antibiotics is the main driver in the development of drug resistant pathogens. Lack of clean water, sanitation and inadequate infection prevention and control promotes the spread of microbes some of which can be resistant to antimicrobial treatment. Over prescription of antibiotics by doctors in today’s world is another cause of antimicrobial resistance. Patients do not finish the entire antibiotic course and as soon as they start feeling healthy, they discontinue the medication. Overuse of antibiotics in livestock and fish farming has made the the poultry animals resistant to these antibiotics. When these are consumed by humans, it impact us too.
There also is poor infection control in healthcare settings and this negligence can be disastrous when it mixes with poor general hygiene and sanitation.
The lack of research & development in medicine and absence of new antibiotics also adds to the cause. One of the major reason for antibiotic resistance is patients taking antibiotics without consulting doctors and practitioners.
Implications:
The consequences of antibiotic resistance are highly problematic. Because of this reality, it can lead to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality. The cost of antimicrobial resistance to the economy is very significant. The death and disability which produces is humongous and it can also lead to prolonged illness which results in longer hospital stays, the need for more expensive medicines and financial crunch for those who are impacted by it. According to one data there are more than 50,000 newborn babies who die in India alone because of antimicrobial resistance.
Without effective tools for prevention and right treatment of drug resistant infections and better quality in antimicrobials, the number of people for whom treatment would fail or who would die of infections, will increase. Also medical procedures like surgery, chemotherapy and organ transplantation will become riskier.
Taking cue from all this we should not use antibiotics to treat viral infections like common cold, sore throat etc. We should have alternate methods to treat it and feel better.
We should not use antibiotics without doctor prescribing them and once prescribed we should take the the full dose and complete the course even if we start feeling better before its completion. Never use leftover prescriptions or share antibiotics with others.
Living W/ Creator 