ANTIBIOTICS are a class of drugs used to kill or restrict the growth of microbial agents, but unfortunately the resistance to antibiotics is posing a global threat.

In countries like Pakistan there is a dire need for better hygiene, access to clean water, infection control in healthcare facilities, and vaccination to reduce the need for antibiotics. Also there should be a wake-up call to governments to introduce incentives for industry to develop new, affordable antibiotics.

A recent report focused on seven different bacteria responsible for common serious diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and blood infections. It has been noted that two key antibiotics no longer work in more than half of patients being treated. One of them is carbapenem, a so-called ‘last-resort’ drug used to treat people with life-threatening infections such as pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and infections in newborns, caused by bacteria K.pneumoniae.

WHO says more new antibiotics need to be developed, while governments and individuals should take steps to slow the process of growing resistance. Quite strangely, resistance to antibiotics for E.coli urinary tract infections had increased from virtually zero in the 1980s to being ineffective in more than half of cases today.

Kaleem Ahmed

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2015

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