Antibiotics: Use responsibly to preserve the miracle
Shafika Riffat Kaniz (Anika) :
WHO has recently launched a global campaign, ‘Antibiotics: Handle with care’, during the first World Antibiotic Awareness Week, 16-22 November 2015. The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness and encourage best practices among the public, policymakers, health and agriculture professionals to avoid further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria change and become resistant to the antibiotics used to treat the infections they cause. This is compromising our ability to treat infectious diseases and undermining many advances in medicine. Over-use and misuse of antibiotics increase the development of resistant bacteria. WHO’s recent multi-country survey reveals widespread public misunderstanding about antibiotic resistance. Almost two thirds (64%) of the some 10 000 people who were surveyed across 12 countries say they know antibiotic resistance is an issue that could affect them and their families, but how it affects them and what they can do to address it are not well understood. For example, 64% of respondents believe antibiotics can be used to treat colds and flu, despite the fact that antibiotics have no impact on viruses. Close to one third (32%) of people surveyed believe they should stop taking antibiotics when they feel better, rather than completing the prescribed course of treatment.
However, we are speeding up the process dramatically by using antibiotics too much and often in the wrong contexts. We need to slow down the development and spread of resistance so that the antibiotics we have continued to work for as long as possible.
Doctors, nurses, veterinarians and other health workers shouldn’t prescribe or dispense antibiotics unless they are truly necessary and which antibiotic their human patient or the animal they are treating should receive, should be chosen after confirming its sensitivity test. It is estimated that in half of all cases, antibiotics are prescribed for conditions caused by viruses, where they do no good, rather than contributing in development of resistance. They can also do more to prevent infections in the first place by ensuring their hands, instruments and environment are clean, and employing vaccines where appropriate.
People using healthcare, should take antibiotics only when prescribed by a certified health professional, but also don’t be timid about asking if you feel you really need them. If you take an antibiotic, always complete the full prescription, even if you feel better, because stopping treatment early promotes the growth of drug-resistant bacteria.
Never use leftover antibiotics or share with others, not even with family members. Personal hygiene should be maintained to prevent infections and vaccinations should be kept up to date.
We need robust national action plans to tackle antibiotic resistance. Critical steps are improved surveillance of antibiotic-resistant infections, regulation of the appropriate use of quality medicines, and education about the dangers of overuse.
We must handle antibiotics with care, so they remain effective as long as possible.
WHO has recently launched a global campaign, ‘Antibiotics: Handle with care’, during the first World Antibiotic Awareness Week, 16-22 November 2015. The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness and encourage best practices among the public, policymakers, health and agriculture professionals to avoid further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria change and become resistant to the antibiotics used to treat the infections they cause. This is compromising our ability to treat infectious diseases and undermining many advances in medicine. Over-use and misuse of antibiotics increase the development of resistant bacteria. WHO’s recent multi-country survey reveals widespread public misunderstanding about antibiotic resistance. Almost two thirds (64%) of the some 10 000 people who were surveyed across 12 countries say they know antibiotic resistance is an issue that could affect them and their families, but how it affects them and what they can do to address it are not well understood. For example, 64% of respondents believe antibiotics can be used to treat colds and flu, despite the fact that antibiotics have no impact on viruses. Close to one third (32%) of people surveyed believe they should stop taking antibiotics when they feel better, rather than completing the prescribed course of treatment.
However, we are speeding up the process dramatically by using antibiotics too much and often in the wrong contexts. We need to slow down the development and spread of resistance so that the antibiotics we have continued to work for as long as possible.
Doctors, nurses, veterinarians and other health workers shouldn’t prescribe or dispense antibiotics unless they are truly necessary and which antibiotic their human patient or the animal they are treating should receive, should be chosen after confirming its sensitivity test. It is estimated that in half of all cases, antibiotics are prescribed for conditions caused by viruses, where they do no good, rather than contributing in development of resistance. They can also do more to prevent infections in the first place by ensuring their hands, instruments and environment are clean, and employing vaccines where appropriate.
People using healthcare, should take antibiotics only when prescribed by a certified health professional, but also don’t be timid about asking if you feel you really need them. If you take an antibiotic, always complete the full prescription, even if you feel better, because stopping treatment early promotes the growth of drug-resistant bacteria.
Never use leftover antibiotics or share with others, not even with family members. Personal hygiene should be maintained to prevent infections and vaccinations should be kept up to date.
We need robust national action plans to tackle antibiotic resistance. Critical steps are improved surveillance of antibiotic-resistant infections, regulation of the appropriate use of quality medicines, and education about the dangers of overuse.
We must handle antibiotics with care, so they remain effective as long as possible.
(Shafika Riffat Kaniz (Anika) is a student of final year, Holly Cross Red Crescent Medical Collage and Hospital Dhaka)
