World Health Organization (WHO) sought urgent and concrete measures to arrest the reducing effectiveness of antibiotics, cautioning that if enough is not done now, common bacterial infections such as skin sores or diarrhoea would become untreatable and fatal.
“Now is the time to turn pledges into action, stake out a clear roadmap and take action to prevent further erosion of our health security. The effectiveness of existing antibiotics is extremely valuable, and we must do all we can to preserve it,” Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia, said on Tuesday in her opening remarks at the three-day international meeting in New Delhi.
Ministers of health from countries in the region and international experts are attending the meeting on “Combating Antimicrobial Resistance: Public Health Challenge and Priority”.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a threat to everyone. Inappropriate use of antibiotics – whether through taking them when they are not required; taking an incomplete course; or taking them too regularly – makes bacterial infections immune to antibiotics.
Globally, 700 000 people die every year as a result of once-treatable health conditions.
In the South-East Asia region, health sector gaps coupled with dense populations and sub-optimal sanitation contributes to a breeding ground for bacterial infections.
This is already leading to loss of lives, long-term suffering, disability, and reduced productivity and earnings. Treatment is becoming more difficult and is consuming more time and resources than it once did. Antibiotic resistance is becoming a massive problem in a region where health systems are already overstretched, Dr Singh said.
The regional director called for stronger commitment for building momentum within the countries of the region to reverse AMR. “We have raised awareness; now is the time to turn pledges into action,” she added.
