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The World Health Organization warned on Monday that antibiotic use is dangerously high in some countries, while the shortage in others is leading to risky misuse, leading to the emergence of deadly superbugs.
In a first, the United Nations health agency said it had collected data on the use of antibiotics in large parts of the world and found large differences in consumption.
The report, based on 2015 data from 65 countries and regions, showed a significant difference in consumption rates ranging from about four daily defined doses (DDD) per 1,000 population per day in Burundi to over 64 in Mongolia.
"The big difference in the use of antibiotics around the world indicates that some countries are probably using too much antibiotics while others may not have sufficient access to these medicines that save lives, "warned WHO in a statement.
Discovered in the 1920s, antibiotics saved tens of millions of lives by fighting bacterial diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis and meningitis.
But over the decades, bacteria have learned to defend themselves and develop resistance to the same drugs that have reliably defeated them.
The WHO has repeatedly warned that the world lacked effective antibiotics and, last year, urged governments and major pharmaceutical companies to create a new generation of drugs designed to combat supergerms ultra-resistant.
"The overuse and misuse of antibiotics are the main causes of antimicrobial resistance," said Suzanne Hill, director of the WHO's essential drugs unit, in a statement.
"Without effective antibiotics and other antimicrobials, we will no longer be able to treat common infections such as pneumonia," she warned.
– "Urgent Action" –
Bacteria can become resistant when patients use antibiotics they do not need or complete, allowing the half-defeated bug to recover and boost its immunity.
Hill insisted that the findings "confirm the need for urgent action, such as the enforcement of prescription-only policies, to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics".
Excessive use of antibiotics is a concern, but WHO has stated that low levels are also of concern.
"Resistance can occur when people can not afford full treatment or only have access to substandard or falsified medicines," he said.
The WHO report shows great differences in antibiotic consumption even within regions.
In Europe, which provided the most comprehensive data for the report, the average consumption of antibiotics was around 18 DDD per 1,000 population per day.
But in the region, Turkey, which ranked first with over 38 DDD, had a consumption almost five times higher than Azerbaijan, the smallest consuming country, with less than eight DDDs.
The WHO has recognized that the way antibiotics are used in the world is far from complete.
Monday's survey, for example, includes only four countries in Africa, three in the Middle East and six in the Asia-Pacific region.
The United States, China and India are particularly absent from the chart.
The WHO emphasized that the collection of reliable data posed many problems, including lack of funds and qualified personnel.
Since 2016, the UN agency supports data collection in 57 low- and middle-income countries in order to put in place a standardized system for monitoring the use of antibiotics.
"Reliable data on antibiotic consumption is essential to help countries raise awareness about the appropriate use of antimicrobials," said WHO.
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