HEALTH

ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR)

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), AMR is the resistance of microbes – bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans – to antimicrobial drugs that were once able to treat an infection by that microbe. AMR is one of the leading global health threats: in fact, all countries have AMR organisms. The clock is ticking when it comes to curbing AMR and the situation gets more complicated daily. Although many professional bodies and cooperations, including WHO, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), have risen to tackle this threat, adequate education and information of the public on AMR is, however, also germane to mopping the menace off our lands.

AMR is caused by indiscriminate use of antimicrobials in humans and other animals; from pollution of the environment from “hotspots” like hospital wastewater, untreated urban wastewater, human waste, animal waste; and from effluents pharmaceutical companies. In fact, there is a strong interplay between countries with many pharmaceutical industries and high rates of AMR incidence. AMR has claimed many lives and has caused massive loss of national income and if not conquered with the right approaches, those tiny little organisms will take over our world.

In humans, AMR can occur as a result of increasing antibiotics dose, missing/not completing dose, and inappropriate administration of antimicrobials due to wrong diagnosis by physicians. Furthermore, inappropriate use of antimicrobials in animal husbandry and vet practice is a major contributor to global occurrence of AMR. To many people, antibiotics are the cure for all ailments, including viral and fungal diseases. However, antibiotics can only be effective against bacterial infections. In fact, most people believe antibiotics are effective against common cold – a viral infection! This paradigm will essentially lead to superfluous use of these drugs, then antimicrobial resistance.

Resistant microbes are more difficult to treat, treatment requiring higher dose and alternative medications which may be toxic, more expensive and may lead to higher duration of illness - with need for additional tests. Microbes causing many common diseases – TB, HIV/AIDS, malaria, STDs, pneumonia, etc - are becoming resistant and this poses serious threat to global health over the decade. Without effective antibiotics, success of surgeries and cancer chemotherapies would be devastatingly compromised. All these pose the imminent need for effective move against AMR.

To ensure the continuity of effective treatment and prevention of infectious diseases, specific measures must be laid to eradicate AMR. In addition to improvement of awareness and understanding of AMR among people, there should be antimicrobial stewardship in human medicine, animal husbandry and in general practice (sanitation and hygiene). Also, there is need to strengthen knowledge on AMR by various researches and improving surveillance on AMR. There is need for joint effort from the government and the masses through establishment of new policies and control of use of antimicrobials in humans, animals and food production.

As a matter of emphasis, AMR is a global problem affecting all countries of the world, and anyone is not immune to it. In fact, as a result of global trade and travel, resistant organisms may travel to any part of the world making worse the issue of AMR. For eradication of AMR, there is need for collective action from all segments of life including the general populace, healthcare givers, government, private establishments, professionals, to come together in solidarity against this threat because those tiny microbes will stop at nothing. They are growing smarter and stronger every day!