Combating Drug Resistance - No action today means no cure tomorrow
Today (7th April) is World Health Day and this year’s theme is "Antimicrobial resistance and its global spread". The World Health Organisation (WHO), who are sponsors of the day, have warned that drug resistance is becoming more severe and many infections are no longer easily cured. As a result, this is leading to prolonged and expensive treatment and greater risk of death. WHO calls for “urgent and concerted action by governments, health professionals, industry and civil society and patients to slow down the spread of drug resistance, and preserve medical advances for future generations”.
What are Antimicrobial Agents?
Antimicrobial agents are medicines used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses. The medicines include antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, antifungals, antivirals and antiparasite medicines. Over the past seventy years, the advancement of medicine has played a pivotal role in helping us to live longer and healthier lives. Antimicrobials have been responsible for alleviating suffering from disease and saving the lives of billions of people. In today’s society we could not imagine living without them.
“The discovery and use of antimicrobial drugs to treat diseases such as leprosy, tuberculosis, gonorrhoea and syphilis changed the course of medical and human history. Now, those discoveries and the generations of drugs that followed them are at risk, as high levels of drug resistance threaten their effectiveness”.
Antimicrobial resistance, also known as drug resistance, occurs when microorganisms adapt such that the medications used to treat the infections are ineffective. When microorganisms become resistant to antimicrobials they are referred to as "super bugs". WHO regard this as a major concern because infections that become resistant have the potential to kill, spread to others and imposes huge costs to the individuals and society.
Last year, at least 440 000 new cases of multidrug resistant-tuberculosis were detected and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis has been reported in 69 countries to date. The malaria parasite is acquiring resistance to even the latest generation of medicines, and resistant strains causing gonorrhea and shigella are limiting treatment options. Resistance is also emerging to the antiretroviral medicines used to treat people living with HIV.
In the Economic Times "Combat antimicrobial resistance on World Health Day" the article highlighted that, "Antibiotic resistance has now become one of the world's most pressing health problems"
WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said, “The message on this World Health Day is loud and clear. The world is on the brink of losing these miracle cures,”
Click here for more information on antimicrobial resistance.
What Causes Antimicrobial Resistance?
Antimicrobial resistance is usually the result of inappropriate use of medicines, for example, by taking substandard doses or not finishing a prescribed course of treatment. Low-quality medicines, wrong prescriptions also encourage the development and spread of drug resistance.
The Economic Times points out that, "Antibiotics should not be used when not needed. Various studies have shown that nearly 50 percent of the use of antibiotics is inappropriate". It is clear that more needs to be done to ensure that when patients visit doctors they desist taking antibiotics unless absolutely necessary.
Call For Action
WHO believes that although antimicrobial is not a new problem it is worsening and all countries should take action to avoid regressing into a pre-antibiotic era.
WHO has published a six-point policy package that sets out the measures governments and their national partners need to combat drug resistance. They argue that although governments need to take the lead, everyone has a role to play and that health professionals, civil society and other groups can also make important contributions to combat drug resistance.
“On this World Health Day, WHO is issuing a policy package to get everyone, especially governments and their drug regulatory systems, on the right track, with the right measures, quickly,” said Dr Chan.
“The trends are clear and ominous. No action today means no cure tomorrow. At a time of multiple calamities in the world, we cannot allow the loss of essential medicines – essential cures for many millions of people – to become the next global crisis.”
To view the WHO news press release, please click here
World Health Day and RSPH
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World Health Day provides a great opportunity for us to raise awareness of current health issues, but more importantly to highlight the critical role we can play in understanding and improving health. By understanding the needs of different people and the health barriers they face, we can help people take responsibility and make healthier life choices.
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