The growing trend of antibiotic resistance & how to beat it

Antibiotic resistance is putting the achievements of modern medicine at risk. Without effective antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of infections, organ transplantations, chemotherapy and surgeries such as caesarean sections have become much more dangerous. In the European Union alone, drug-resistant bacteria are estimated to cause 25,000 deaths and cost more than $1.5 billion annually in healthcare expenses and productivity losses. Hansa Venkateswaran tracks the growing trend and says how to beat it.

What Is It?

Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance usually occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of these medicines. Bacteria, therefore, become antibiotic-resistant. Such bacteria then infect humans and become harder to treat than the non-resistant ones

Scope Of The Problem

- It is one of the biggest threats to global health today

- It can affect anyone, of any age, in any country

- A growing number of infections— such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and gonorrhoea— are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used to treat them become less effective

- It leads to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs and increased mortality

- In countries where antibiotics can be bought without a prescription, emergence and spread of resistance is worse

- In countries without standard treatment guidelines, antibiotics are often overprescribed by health workers and over-used by the public

- Without urgent action, a post-antibiotic era can be expected, where even common infections and minor injuries can become killers

Prevention & Control

The general public should:

- Regularly wash hands, practise good food hygiene, avoid close contact with sick people and keep vaccinations up to date

- Use antibiotics only when prescribed by a certifi ed health professional

- Never use leftover antibiotics

- Never share antibiotics

Doctors, health workers and pharmacists should:

- Ensure hands, instruments and environment are clean

- When a bacterial infection is suspected, perform bacterial cultures and tests to confirm it

- Prescribe and dispense antibiotics only when truly needed

Policymakers should:

- Have a robust national action plan to tackle antibiotic resistance

- Improve surveillance of antibiotic-resistant infections

- Strengthen infection prevention and control measures

- Regulate and promote appropriate use of quality medicines

- Make information on the impact of antibiotic resistance available

- Reward the development of new treatment options, vaccines and diagnostics

The agricultural sector should:

- Ensure antibiotics given to animals are only used to treat infectious diseases and under veterinary supervision

- Vaccinate animals to reduce the need for antibiotics and develop alternatives for plants

- Adopt sustainable systems with improved hygiene, biosecurity and stress-free handling of animals

- Implement international standards for the responsible use of antibiotics, set