2023-11-24 16:04:11
The misuse of antibiotics is reducing their effectiveness and generating resistant bacteria that could be responsible for 10 million deaths worldwide by 2050, the World Health Organization has warned.
A study carried out by the OMS showed that antibiotics were prescribed for cases such as the common cold (24% of cases), flu-like symptoms (16 percent), sore throat (21 percent), and cough (18 percent).
The survey was carried out in 14 countries, mainly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
“Although antimicrobial resistance is a natural phenomenon, the development and spread of superbugs is being accelerated by the misuse of antimicrobials, making infections more difficult to treat effectively,” he denounces. to WHO in a statement.
The WHO warned that without immediate intervention, antimicrobial resistance (including antibiotics) could cause up to 10 million deaths a year by 2050.
Only in Spain, according to the study «SEIMC-BMR 2023” from Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) in 2023, 23,303 people died in the 30 days following being diagnosed with infections due to multi-resistant bacteria, a figure that is 20 times higher than the number of people who died in traffic accidents in Spain in 2022, which was 1,145, according to data of the DGT.
Rafael Cantón, member of the scientific committee of the study and one of the moderators of the day, wanted to emphasize that «Antimicrobial resistance is a global health problem in which health professionals have a great responsibility. We must work in a multi- and multidisciplinary way to preserve the sensitivity of microorganisms to antimicrobials. We need well-trained professionals in this area and the determined support of institutions and their managers in this endeavor. “Patients are the ultimate goal of our work in the fight against resistance.”
In 2023 there have been more than 150,000 infections due to multidrug-resistant bacteria in Spain
The results of the study estimate that in 2023 there have been more than 150,000 infections due to infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria, with urinary tract infection being the most frequent and pneumonia having the highest mortality, which makes it a serious health problem.
In the WHO survey, across 14 countries, a third of the approximately 8,200 people surveyed had taken antibiotics without a prescription. In some countries, more than 40 percent of antibiotics were used without a prescription.
By contrast, an equivalent survey conducted in the European Union in 2022 showed that only eight percent of respondents took antibiotics without a prescription.
The WHO also noted that there were serious gaps in people’s knowledge about antibiotics, meaning they could be taking antibiotics for the wrong reason without realizing it.
“This research clearly shows the need for education and awareness,” concludes the WHO.
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