Many people prefer using antibiotics instead of going to hospitals. Personally, I hate pills but some people can’t survive without taking some. Well, antibiotic use and resistance is growing and victims are being exposed to life threatening infections.
A new report and an online tool show that antibiotic use and resistance has grown around the globe. Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy (CDDEP) released a comprehensive report, State of the world’s antibiotics, 2015, this month. The report focused on antibiotic use and resistance in human and livestock in low, middle and high income countries.
On the other hand, the online tool, Resistancemap showed an increasing resistance to antibiotics.
The research was carried in countries like Australia, India, Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam. In total, the report covered antibiotic resistance in 39 countries, antibiotic use in 69 countries and explored infections caused by 12 common deadly bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
“Between 2000 and 2010, total global antibiotic consumption grew by more than 30 per cent, from approximately 50 billion to 70 billion standard units,” says the report.
Antibiotic use and resistance is on the rise because of a number of reasons. Majorly, this is influenced by complicated lifestyle that people tend to explore. The authors of the report claim antibiotic resistance is on the rise because antibiotic consumption in humans and animals is rising.
Ramanan Laxminarayan, CDDEP director said,”many patients are dying of infections that were previously easily treatable and that infections that could once be treated in a week or two could become routinely life-threatening and endanger millions of lives.”
Most people would be of the opinion that the resistance is due a low production of antibiotics in the world. However, the report objects.
“Limiting overuse and misuse of antibiotics are the only sustainable solutions,” Laxminarayan said.
Antibiotics resistance can be stopped in a number of ways. Majorly, a clean environment and ways of handling pollution should be adopted. This will reduce the need for antibiotics in major cities. People need to know the effects that can be caused by heavy antibiotics usage.
“This is not a crisis that respects borders; the benefits of improved practices will be shared worldwide,” Laxminarayan said.
Many people are using antibiotics on a daily basis especially ladies. People tend to believe that an antibiotic can reduce stress or relieve pain. The report urges people to avoid factors that lead to stress or infections. Researchers should come up with better diagnostic tests and teach patients on appropriate antibiotic usage.
