The World Health Organisation has warned that the misuse of antibiotics is affecting their efficacy and could be responsible for 10 million deaths worldwide by 2050.
This warning came on Thursday, following a survey on the use of antibiotics conducted by the WHO experts.
AMR occurs when microorganisms develop the ability to resist the antimicrobial drugs that are typically used to kill them and treat infections. Different types of antimicrobials – such as antibiotics for bacteria, antivirals for viruses and antifungals for fungi – target specific types of microorganisms.
WHO’s European chapter conducted a study that showed that antibiotics were prescribed for things like the common cold (24 percent of cases), flu-like symptoms (16 percent), a sore throat (21 percent) and cough (18 percent).
The survey was carried out in 14 countries, mostly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
“While AMR is a natural phenomenon, the development and spread of superbugs are being accelerated by the misuse of antimicrobials, rendering infections more challenging to treat effectively,” WHO’s statement read partly.
The WHO’s European region comprises 53 countries, including several in Central Asia.
“All countries in our region have regulations in place to protect precious antibiotics from misuse… Enforcing these regulations would solve most antibiotic misuse,” Robb Butler, director of WHO Europe’s Division of Communicable Diseases, said in a statement.
WHO warned that without immediate intervention, resistance to antimicrobials which includes antibiotics could lead to up to 10 million deaths a year by 2050.
It cited incorrect prescription as a “cause for concern,” adding that in all the 14 countries, a third of the roughly 8,200 people surveyed had taken antibiotics without a medical prescription.
“The use of antimicrobial medicines is intrinsically tied to human behaviour and deeply entrenched in social and cultural contexts, shaped by our attitudes, policies and available choices,” commented Dr Danilo Lo Fo Wong, Regional Adviser for the Control of AMR.
“Conserving the effectiveness of antimicrobial medicines requires interventions at many levels, such as timely vaccination, improved hygiene and reduction of inappropriate prescribing. Behavioural science and cultural context analyses have a pivotal role to play in understanding and addressing all these behaviours. They can provide critical insights into the barriers and drivers of behaviour, aiding in the development of effective interventions” Dr Lo Fo Wong added.
“We encourage and support countries to design and conduct targeted behavioural interventions, using the guidance provided in our Tailoring Antimicrobial Resistance Programmes toolbox.”Control antibiotic misuse or the drugs won’t work, warn WHO experts
