The antibiotics we used to cure common bacterial infections such as pneumonia, and infected wounds, are becoming useless against some bacteria. The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General said it was imperative for consumers and medical providers to rely less on antibiotics to treat diseases.
“Based on current trends, a common disease like gonorrhoea may become untreatable,” the Director-General warned. He continued that doctors facing patients may one day have to say, “I’m sorry - there’s nothing I can do for you.”[1]
Antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious global public health threats; and it could potentially kill millions of people and negatively affect the global economy.[2] The United Nations (UN) has adopted a high-level political declaration committing to deal with the increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant infections.[2]
The increasing antimicrobial resistance is hugely worrying, and it is a problem that will affect every one of us and our families. One important example of how antibiotic-resistant bacteria could become risky again is childbirth. Mothers and infants would be at high risk of death from bacterial infections, which was once preventable.
Check out these videos about antibiotic:
What causes antibiotic-resistance? - Kevin Wu
Maryn McKenna: What do we do when antibiotics don’t work anymore?
References
1 WHO. (2016, August 29). Birth in a time of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/mediacentre/commentaries/antibiotic-resistant-bacteria/en/
2 O'Neill, J. (2016, March 19). Tackling Drug-Resistant Infections Globally: Final Report and Recommendations. The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance. Retrieved from https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/160525_Final paper_with cover.pdf