Message of the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, for World Antibiotic Awareness Week: “Antibiotics: Handle with Care”, 14-20 November 2016

Antibiotic resistance is a major global health concern, posing significant challenges to health, food security and development. It occurs naturally when bacteria change in response to the use of antibiotics.

There is a global crisis of antimicrobial resistance due to over-prescribing and dispensing of antibiotics by healthcare practitioners, misuse of antibiotics by patients, overuse and misuse in farming, lack of new antibiotics being developed, poor infection control, and lack of proper sanitation and sewage disposal.

Antibiotic resistance can also pose a significant economic burden on individuals, communities and health systems. Second and third line drug treatments are costly. A drug-resistant infection lengthens the treatment time, and can increase time in hospital.

Africa is not spared and is not alone in dealing with antibiotic resistance. While there is inadequate data to accurately estimate the scope and scale of antibiotic resistance in the African Region, we know it is on the rise. For example, common bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus which cause urinary tract infections, wound infections and pneumonia, are becoming resistant to commonly used antibiotics.

In addition, Tuberculosis is becoming increasingly difficult to treat due to the emergence of Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) and Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR).  XDR-TB is resistant to first option treatments, and to three or more of the six classes of second line drugs reserved for when initial treatment fails. There is global health security concern about the movement of individuals with XDR-TB into new locations.

Antibiotics have saved millions of lives since the invention of penicillin in 1928. They are a precious resource that cannot be taken for granted. Failure to act now to curb antibiotic resistance means there will be more untreatable common infections and deaths from pathogens which were previously treatable, reversing the gains made in advanced medical treatments.

Country leadership is crucial in delaying the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. One way of achieving this is to ensure collaboration across the human health, animal health, food and environment sectors. Furthermore, strong individual and community awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance is vital to stop it becoming uncontrollable.

Patients should only use antibiotics when prescribed by a certified healthcare professional and never demand them if they are unnecessary. It is important to complete the full course of treatment and never share antibiotics.

On the other hand, healthcare practitioners should always follow infection control procedures. They should only prescribe and dispense antibiotics when they are truly needed, and inform patients on the appropriate use of antibiotics, as well as on how to prevent getting common infections. The pharmaceutical industry should invest in research and development of new antibiotics.

Farmers and food producers can help by only giving antibiotics to animals (food-producing and companion animals) to control or treat infectious diseases, and phase out the routine use of antibiotics to promote growth. In so doing, humans will be less vulnerable to acquiring antibiotic resistant organisms through the consumption of animal products.

At country-level, policy makers should develop and implement national action plans to deal with antibiotic resistance, improve surveillance of antibiotic resistant infections to provide reliable data for action, and regulate and promote the appropriate use and disposal of quality medicines.

WHO in the African Region takes antibiotic resistance very seriously. We are prioritising antimicrobial resistance work through the Regional emergency and security strategy, helping countries to develop and implement national action plans, as well as supporting countries to build of strong health systems. It is very important not to reverse the gains made in disease treatment and control. Everyone, everywhere can play a part in preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics. Handle antibiotics with care.