World Risks 10m Deaths Annually From Drug-Resistance – Report

Health experts in Britain have raised the alarm about the threat antibiotics’ drugresistant ‘superbugs’ pose to man. They said some 10 million people could die annually from the infections unless the world cuts down on indiscriminate use of antibiotics.

This was disclosed in a review of antimicrobial resistance report, which was funded by the British Government. The report was published yesterday as England’s Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, estimated that 50,000 people in Europe and the United States are dying each year because of untreatable infections.

The more antibiotics are used – whether on humans or animals – the more resistant bacteria becomes to them. Superbugs are already breeding at a rapid rate, with increasing numbers of germs, evolving to become untreatable with previously effective drugs, said Davies.

On his part, the lead reviewer, Jim O’Neill, an economist, warned that failure to act fast would cost the world in terms of finances and preventable deaths, while calling for mandatory rules that should be introduced in every developed nation to stop doctors distributing antibiotics without a conclusive test result medically requiring their use.

He said: “That would have a huge beneficial influence in terms of making us not treat them like sweets, as we currently do, and help our doctors be precise. This could be a huge, huge game-changer.”

Antibiotics, also called anti-bacterials, are a type of antimicrobial drug used in the treatment and prevention of bacterial infection. They may either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. A limited number of antibiotics also possess antiprotozoal activity.

Antibiotics are not effective against viruses such as the common cold or influenza, and may be harmful when taken inappropriately. They are among the most frequently prescribed medications in modern medicine.

However, antibiotics resistance has become a major clinical and public health problem within the lifetime of most people living today. Hence, the review makes 10 recommendations to galvanise action at the individual, organisations, state and global levels,” O’Neill said.

He urged everyone to play their part in only taking antibiotics when they are needed and completing their course when used. He, however, urged governments to launch a massive global public awareness campaign and build a global coalition for real action via the United Nations (UN) and the G20 group of the world’s largest economies.

Other recommendations include improving hygiene and preventing the spread of infections, reducing the use of antimicrobials in agriculture, improving global surveillance of drug resistance and promoting the use of vaccines and other alternatives to antimicrobials.