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ABU DHABI, April 30, 2019 (WAM) – A newspaper in the United Arab Emirates has stated that the continued abuse of antibiotics poses a serious risk to humanity and that the world must become aware of this. danger before it's too late.
In an innovative report, the United Nations Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance warned that if no action is taken, drug-resistant diseases could cause 10 million deaths each year by the end of the decade. 2050 and economic damages as catastrophic as in 2008 Global Financial Crisis of 2009.
According to the World Health Organization, the WHO and its partners, antimicrobial resistance could drive up to 24 million people to extreme poverty.
"Currently, at least 700,000 people die each year from a drug-resistant disease, including 230,000 people from multidrug-resistant TB," Gulf Today said in an editorial.
It is important to note that more and more common diseases, including respiratory and urinary tract infections, as well as badually transmitted infections, are incurable. Medical procedures that save lives are becoming increasingly risky and food systems increasingly precarious.
Antibiotic resistance is known to be unavoidable over time, but what is disturbing is that it has been accelerated by the misuse of drugs. When the most common antibiotics do not work, more expensive types are prescribed, resulting in longer illness and longer treatment, often in the hospital. More and more cases are reported in which no existing drug works.
"The UAE deserves praise for not only being on guard but also for taking concrete steps to meet the challenge," the editorial comment added.
Sustained efforts by the Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, in cooperation with the relevant public and private health agencies, have resulted in a reduction in the use of antibiotics ranging up to the end of the year. to 43%, according to recent studies conducted at Sheikh Khalifa Hospital in Abu Dhabi. .
The concern about antibiotic resistance is not unfounded. In fact, the problem, characteristic of medicine since Alexander Fleming's discovery of the first antibiotic, penicillin, in 1928, has worsened in recent years, as multidrug-resistant bugs developed and pharmaceutical companies reduced investments.
New mechanisms of resistance appear and spread worldwide, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases, resulting in the death and disability of individuals who, until recently, could pursue a normal life course.
The need for an additional hour is to invest more in research and development for antibiotic-resistant infections, including tuberculosis. Reducing the use of antibiotics and rewarding pharmaceutical companies for the development of new drugs remains the best way forward.
Antibiotic resistance is a global health emergency. Recognizing that human, animal, food and environmental health are closely linked, the WHO report called for a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to "one system" and all countries should consider these valuable suggestions.
There is a need to prioritize national action plans to scale up funding and capacity building efforts. Stronger regulatory systems and support for awareness programs for responsible and prudent use of antimicrobials by human, animal and plant health professionals should be put in place.
"It is also absolutely necessary to invest in the research and development of new technologies to combat antimicrobial resistance," the Sharjah-based daily concluded.
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