On April 30, 2014 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that antimicrobial resistance is happening in every region of the world and considers it a major threat to public health.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of
infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi. A “post-antibiotic
era”, where common infections and minor injuries could kill, is a real
possibility for the 21st Century.
The report focuses on antibiotic resistance in seven different bacteria which are responsible for common but serious diseases, including but not limited to sepsis, pneumonia, and gonorrhea. It emphasizes that resistance to common bacteria has reached alarming levels in many parts of
the world, and that the surveillance of this resistance is neither
coordinated nor harmonized. While
some countries have taken important steps in addressing the problem, the report suggests every
country and individual needs to do more; including taking important actions to prevent infections from happening in the first place.
Fortunately, the WHO provides information on how individuals can help tackle resistance by. Antibiotics should only be used when prescribed by a physician,and users should complete the full prescription and never share with others. It strongly suggests to physicians and pharmacists to only prescribe and dispense the correct antibiotic when they are truly needed, and to enhance prevention and control instead. Policymakers and industry can help tackle resistance by fostering innovation and research, and by advocating cooperation among governments, especially on surveillance that generates reliable data.
Fortunately, the WHO provides information on how individuals can help tackle resistance by. Antibiotics should only be used when prescribed by a physician,and users should complete the full prescription and never share with others. It strongly suggests to physicians and pharmacists to only prescribe and dispense the correct antibiotic when they are truly needed, and to enhance prevention and control instead. Policymakers and industry can help tackle resistance by fostering innovation and research, and by advocating cooperation among governments, especially on surveillance that generates reliable data.
The World Health Organization's recent report is not the first mention of this developing situation. In September 2013, the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention warned of ‘potentially catastrophic consequences’ of
drug-resistant microorganisms. The
CDC estimates that in the United
States more than two million people are sickened every year and at least
23,000 are dying as a result.
The report–which also includes
information on resistance to medicines for treating other infections such as HIV,
malaria, tuberculosis and influenza–provides the most comprehensive picture of
drug resistance to date, incorporating data from 114 countries.
Update September 19, 2014: John Holdren, President Obama’s chief science adviser, called "the problem of antibiotic resistance a potential threat to the nation and the world” that poses “a serious domestic and international challenge to human and animal health, national security and the economy.” At a news conference, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH pointed out that antibiotic resistance “is connected to at least 23,000 deaths and two million illnesses each year.”
Update September 19, 2014: John Holdren, President Obama’s chief science adviser, called "the problem of antibiotic resistance a potential threat to the nation and the world” that poses “a serious domestic and international challenge to human and animal health, national security and the economy.” At a news conference, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH pointed out that antibiotic resistance “is connected to at least 23,000 deaths and two million illnesses each year.”
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