Dr Alexander Flemming discovered the first antibiotic, Penicillin, in 1928. Before that, infections were the most common cause of death globally. Ironically, by 2050 (150 years later), despite the availability of every kind of antibiotic, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is expected to be the leading cause of death, with over 10 million deaths predicted yearly. The Global economy is expected to incur losses of over 100 trillion dollars to tackle this menace, an amount equivalent to 25 times the present GDP of India!
Reflecting on this concern in today’s day and age, a recent ICMR survey of over 100000 organisms reported a phenomenal increase in AMR rates by 20% since 2017. Antibiotic misuse has been reported at every level of the hierarchy, right from the community up to tertiary care centres. While we focus our efforts on promoting antimicrobial stewardship amongst medical practitioners, it is equally important to educate the common man about good antibiotic use practices.
Every patient with a cough, cold and fever does not require an antibiotic. Lack of awareness and the easy availability of antibiotics as over-the-counter medicines is further contributing to this problem. In this context, the recent initiative by the Kerala government to curb the sale of OTC antibiotics without a medical prescription is a welcome change in the right direction.
Simple interventions can have a huge impact on AMR. For instance, vaccinations have been shown to reduce antibiotic use and prevent AMR. In an interesting survey conducted in the US, it was observed that the introduction of pneumococcal vaccination in children resulted in ~70% reduction in the use of common antibiotics.
AMR is a looming threat with potentially catastrophic consequences. As a society, it is our responsibility to save us and our future generations from this deadly foe.