No less than the G20 countries and the World Health Organization (WHO) have raised the alarm for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a “growing threat to public health and economic growth.” In the recent G20 Summit in Hamburg, the group pledged to take concrete steps in combating AMR.
The WHO on the other hand have been issuing warnings about superbugs, or bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. These include pneumonia, E.coli, tuberculosis and most recently gonorrhea.
In the case of drug-resistant gonorrhea, WHO is fearful that new drugs may not be developed in time to combat the spread of infectious disease. And once it reaches the shores of developing countries where diagnostic methods may not be as advanced, it may rise to epidemic proportions.
How To Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance
As G20 countries are taking their own steps at the global level to fund research and development initiatives to fight these superbugs, public awareness must be strengthened as well. Antimicrobial resistance is usually brought on by the improper use of antibiotics.
Ordinary people can help prevent the rise of more superbugs by becoming more conscious about their antibiotic use. Here are 5 tips to follow when it comes to treating oneself with these powerful medicines, as suggested by the Center for Disease Control.
1. Patients should ask their medical practitioner if proper diagnostic tests will be done before prescribing antibiotic use. Patients should also be aware of what their infection is and what kind of antibiotics, if any is needed to treat it.
2. Once the doctor prescribes you with antibiotics, make you follow orders on how much to take and when to take it. Make sure you complete the whole course of treatment as prescribed.
3. Do not use antibiotics left over from another treatment. Your doctor after proper diagnosis will prescribe your treatment based on your specific type of infection. Once your treatment is complete, discard any leftover drugs you may have. This will stop you or anyone else from making use of old medicine.
4. Do not insist that you be given antibiotics even if your doctor says you do not need them.
5. Always consult a doctor when you are sick. Do not self-medicate especially when it comes to antibiotics.