Antibiotic resistance scare

CLARION CALL: DRASTIC STEPS MUST BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THEIR CONTINUED USEFULNESS

Overuse and misuse has seen surge in bacterial resistance in recent years.

Antibiotics have been a miracle of modern medicine. From a chance finding in 1928 to the modern day, millions of people have benefitted from these life-saving medicines.

This week, the world marks World Antibiotic Awareness Week – both a celebration of the contribution that antibiotics have made to global public health and a clarion call to action to ensure their continued usefulness.

The case for a clarion call is clear: overuse and misuse of antibiotics in humans, animals and the food production industry has seen bacterial resistance to antibiotics surge in recent years.

Without antibiotics, treatments we take for granted for common diseases such as pneumonia will be lost.

Effectively, we are seeing the end of modern medicine slowly being played out. But we can act together to alter the situation.

Humans and bacteria are symbionts – we live in close physical association, to the advantage of both. Every human is host to trillions of bacteria that live in our gut, on our skin and in other body

For some, there is nothing that can be done.

Unchecked antibiotic resistance has greater social consequences over and above just health. For example, by 2050 high antibiotic resistance is projected to drive an additional 28.3 million people into extreme poverty. The vast majority (26.2 million) would live in low-income countries.

This is because antibiotics are crucial in preventing and treating bacterial infections in the most vulnerable populations such as young people, the elderly, and those whose immune systems are unable to control bacteria. These include HIV-positive people, people with malnutrition, and those undergoing cancer treatment.

Antibiotic resistance is a universal issue. Although it is predominant in hospitals, bacterial infections in the community are also increasingly antibiotic resistant. That means it affects everybody, crossing social boundaries and ignoring whether people are being cared for in public or private healthcare facilities.

Importantly, there is hope for the future if we commit ourselves as a global collective to intervene, change behaviours and focus our efforts. First comes building awareness and second protect yourself and your family by preventing infections in the first place.

Marc Mendelson: Professor of Infectious Diseases, University of Cape Town

Republished from TheConversation.com