By: Mavis Offei Acheampong
Losing the ability to treat serious bacterial infections is a major threat to public health. By 2050, the UN estimates that up to 10 million deaths could be caused by superbugs and associated forms of antimicrobial resistance, matching the annual global death toll of cancer.
Health Experts are therefore calling for the right usage and stewardship on Antimicrobial (Antibiotics) across all areas of life. They say not only are the misuse of Antimicrobials (Antibiotics) causing countless deaths in human being, they are also affecting the natural growth in crops and animals which inadvertently affect humans beings.
At a virtual media roundtable by Pfizer to raise awareness on the use of Antimicrobials (Antibiotics) there was a call to enforce the laws and regulations that guide the use of Antimicrobial, restrict it use and maintain its effectiveness to save lives.
Discussing the need for Antimicrobial Stewardship across board, Prof. Kwame Ohene Buabeng at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) stated that treatment of infections are becoming more difficult due to widespread emergence of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). He said there is the need to prioritize awareness and give guidance on actions to be taking.
Prof. Buabeng emphasize that, “The “One Health” approach, a holistic and multisectoral approach, is also needed to address AMR’s rising threat”. Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) practices, principles, and interventions are critical steps towards containing and mitigating AMR, He said.
Dr. Yaw A. Amoako a Senior Specialist Infectious Diseases Physician and Research Scientist at Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in
Tropical Medicine (KCCR) on his part said “With rates of AMR increasing worldwide, and very few new antibiotics being developed, existing antibiotics are becoming a limited resource. He also noted that the burden of Antimicrobial Drug Resistance (ADR) is huge as two out of every three persons in our hospitals are given antibiotics, while Six out of ten prescriptions are of antibiotics resulting in about 60% of NHIS cost on antibiotics drug purchases.
Dr. Amoako stated that efficient use of Antibiotics can reduce the burden. “It is therefore essential that antibiotics only be prescribed and last-resort antibiotics (AWaRe RESERVE group) be reserved for patients who truly need them.
People do not have to be served with Antibiotics on the WHO’s watch or reserve list, these are causing lots of challenges- He said. While Antibiotics are life savers, they may have side effects too. If you have a flu and your Doctor says you do not need an Antibiotic that should be it” He advised.
Dr. Kodjo Soroh, Medical Director West Africa Pfizer said at least 700,000 people die each year due to drug-resistant diseases. He said when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, it is often harder and more expensive to treat the infection.
Dr. Soroh noted that, more and more common diseases, including respiratory tract infections, sexually transmitted infections and urinary tract infections, are untreatable; lifesaving medical procedures are becoming much riskier, and our food systems are increasingly precarious.
Pfizer’s position is that governments and the public health community must work together with industry to take further action and support measures that will enable continued innovation in the development of new antibiotics and vaccines to help curb the spread of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR):
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a silent threat that needs urgent attention. It occurs when bacteria, virus, fungi and parasites change overtime and no longer respond to medicine making infection harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, sever illness and death. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicine become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficulty and impossible to treat.
EFFECTS OF AMR:
AMR increases a patients stay in the health facility, increases duration of treatment and has a huge economic impact on the patient and the health care system. Pfizer says overuse of antibiotics is creating stronger germs. Some bacteria are already “resistant” to common antibiotics and if AMR continues to rise unchecked, formerly minor infections could become life-threatening, serious infections could become superbugs that are impossible to treat, and many routine medical procedures could become too risky to perform.