World Antibiotic Awareness Week, November 13-19th 2017

Antibiotics Do Not Treat Viral Infections Like Colds & Flu

People take antibiotics just like the way they eat a candy-open it up and pop it into their mouth without a second thought. This year’s theme ‘Seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional before taking antibiotics’ holds good for such people. Antibiotics are science treasures which must be used only under the guidance of a medical practitioner. This not only ensure you of a safe treatment plan but also helps to reduce the threat of antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic Resistance
Bacterial infections are prevented/treated using antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria change in response to the use of these medicines. The fact here is that, it is the bacteria and not the humans/animals who become antibiotic-resistant. Infections due to such bacteria are harder to treat than other infections. It also leads to increased medical costs, prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality.

Antibiotic resistance is affecting the entire world and is one of the biggest threats to food security, global health and development. The rise of antibiotic resistance is paving way for complicated untraceable infections that can affect any person of any age in any country. Infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning and gonorrhea are becoming harder, sometimes impossible, to treat. India leads globally in the highest number of tuberculosis cases, details of which are available in the website www.firsteatright.com. If this trend continues, our future will reflect our past in which infections and minor injuries can once again kill a person. Although a natural process, the misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the resistance process.

Prevent the Resistance
Although antibiotic resistance is already deep-rooted, steps can be taken at every level of the society to minimize impact and limit resistance. To achieve this:

As an individual we can:

1. Use antibiotics only when prescribed by a certified health practitioner.
2. Avoid insisting the physician to prescribe antibiotics when he/she feels that there is no requirement for one.
3. Never share the same antibiotics even if your friend/relative experiences similar symptoms.
4. Use antibiotics as instructed by the doctor.
5. Avoid triggering infections by practicing safer sex, regularly washing hands, preparing food hygienically, avoiding close contact with sick people and keeping vaccinations up to date.
   
   

As a health professional we can:

1. Follow utmost hygiene and prevent infections by keeping your hands, instruments and the environment clean.
2. Explain the patient clearly on how antibiotics are to be taken, when they must be consumed and make them understand the concept of antibiotic resistance and the dangers involved in it.
3. Prescribe and dispense antibiotics only when they are needed.
   
   

Although every other day we see new antibiotics in the market, none of them are effective against the most dangerous forms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Also, not all infections can be treated with antibiotics. Viruses like cold and flu don’t disappear when prescribed an antibiotic.
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The WHO aims to suppress this antibiotic resistance in different ways:

1. To reduce the occurrence of infection.
2. Optimize the use of antibiotics.
3. Make people more aware about antimicrobial resistance and its side effects.
4. Help countries invest more in sustainable investments that can counter antimicrobial resistance.