World AMR Awareness Week: Failure to prevent misuse, overuse of medicine fuelling antimicrobial resistance

” We should give antibiotics or other antimicrobials only when we have a proper diagnosis. We should be aware of hospital-acquired infections and do all that we can to stop the transmission of infections.” Felix pointed out.

Thomas Joseph, Head, AMR Awareness, Campaigns and Advocacy, World Health Organization (WHO) HQ and Chairperson of AMR Awareness Working Group for the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR, said that AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines.
“As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, disability and death. AMR threatens our ability to treat common infections and to perform life-saving procedures including cancer chemotherapy and caesarean section, hip replacements, organ transplantation and other surgeries,” Joseph said.

“Data shows that 1.27 million deaths could directly be attributed to bacterial AMR in 2019 but the number of total associated deaths to AMR in a year is around 5 million. AMR deaths may increase by 50% in the next 25 years,” Joseph said

He said misuse and overuse of antimicrobials; poor access to quality, affordable medicines, vaccines and diagnostics; lack of awareness and knowledge; population movement; lack of access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene; poor infection and disease prevention and control in healthcare facilities and farms, are the main drivers of AMR in human health sector.

Shobha Shukla, chairperson of Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) also made a strong case for ending inequality and injustice in health responses. “We must ensure the best of diagnostic tools are available for all diseases and infections to everyone – especially those who are most likely to be unreached by existing public services. Access to health must be people-centred, rights-based and gender transformative. Failure is not a choice when it comes to challenges like AMR. We must ensure health security for everyone with equity and justice,” she said.