Antibiotics are not always the answer, warns WHO

Islamabad

The world urgently needs to change the way it prescribes and uses antibiotics, which are in danger of losing their effectiveness due to misuse and overuse, warns the World Health Organsiation (WHO). Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them speeds up antibiotic resistant infections that are more complex to treat. As such, antibiotics aren't always the answer and it is critical to seek the advice of a healthcare professional before taking antibiotics.

To raise awareness about antibiotic resistance, World Antibiotic Week is held every November since 2015 with the theme ‘Antibiotics: Handle with care.’ This year too, the observation begins on November 13 with various activities planned during the week.  According to WHO, a growing number of infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and gonorrhea, are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used to treat them become less effective. Even if new medicines are developed, without behaviour change, antibiotic resistance will remain a major threat. Behaviour changes must also include actions to reduce the spread of infections through vaccination, hand-washing, practicing safer sex, and good food hygiene.

Where antibiotics can be bought for human or animal use without a prescription, the emergence and spread of resistance is made worse. Similarly, in countries without standard treatment guidelines, antibiotics are often over-prescribed by health workers and veterinarians and over-used by the public. “Without urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill,” WHO warns.

Antibiotic resistance is accelerated by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, as well as poor infection prevention and control. Steps can be taken at all levels of society to reduce the impact and limit the spread of resistance.  To prevent and control the spread of antibiotic resistance, individuals must only use antibiotics when prescribed by a health professional; should never demand antibiotics if they don’t need them; always follow the health worker’s advice when using antibiotics; never share or use leftover antibiotics; and prevent infections by regularly washing hands, preparing food hygienically, avoiding close contact with sick people, practicing safer sex, and keeping vaccinations up to date.

Policymakers can play their role by introducing a robust national action plan to tackle antibiotic resistance; improving surveillance of antibiotic-resistant infections; strengthening policies and implementation of infection prevention and control measures; regulating appropriate use and disposal of quality medicines; and making information available on the impact of antibiotic resistance.  Health professionals can prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance by preventing infections by ensuring their hands, instruments, and environment are clean; only prescribing and dispensing antibiotics when they are needed; reporting antibiotic-resistant infections to surveillance teams; talking to patients about how to take antibiotics correctly, antibiotic resistance and the dangers of misuse; talking to patients about preventing infections (for example, vaccination, hand washing, safer sex, and covering nose and mouth when sneezing).

To prevent and control the spread of antibiotic resistance, the health industry can invest in research and development of new antibiotics, vaccines, diagnostics and other tools.  While there are some new antibiotics in development, none of them are expected to be effective against the most dangerous forms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.