Alec Simonson enrolled in dental school in August 2021 with the goal of mastering the art and science of dental medicine. He enjoys volunteering in his spare time, providing free dental care to underserved communities in his home state of Florida. While earning his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida Atlantic University, Master of Science degree from Florida Atlantic University, and Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Florida, Alec Simonson became involved in neuropharmacological, bioinformatics and dental neuroscience research.
This article will look at antibiotic resistance, exploring the potential dangers and outlining measures being implemented to counter this rising problem.
According to the World Health Organization, antimicrobial resistance ranks among the most serious public health and development threats globally today, with an estimated 1.27 million global deaths directly attributable to antimicrobial resistance in 2019 alone. The overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in people, animals and agriculture are the main drivers of the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens, the World Health Organization warns.
Affecting nations at all income levels and in all parts of the world, the drivers and consequences of antimicrobial resistance are exacerbated by inequality and poverty, meaning that low and middle-income countries are worst affected by this growing problem.
Antimicrobial resistance jeopardizes many of the gains of modern medicine, making infections harder to treat and rendering treatments such as chemotherapy, caesarean sections, and other types of surgery much riskier. The world is currently facing an antibiotics pipeline and access crisis, with inadequate research being carried out in the fact of rising levels of resistance. Around the world today, there is an urgent need for additional measures to ensure equal access to existing and new vaccines, medicines and diagnostics.
In addition to the human cost, causing death and disability, antimicrobial resistance is also taking a significant economic toll. Data from World Bank suggests that this rising problem could result in an additional $1 trillion in additional healthcare costs by 2050, as well as triggering anywhere between $1 trillion and $3.4 trillion in GDP losses by 2030.
Antimicrobials – antibiotics, antifungals, antiparasitics, and antivirals – are medicines used to treat and prevent infections and diseases in people, animals and plants. Antimicrobial resistance occurs where bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses stop responding to antimicrobial medicines. As a result of drug resistance, antimicrobial medicines are rendered ineffective, making infections harder or even impossible to treat, leading to the spread of disease, and culminating in severe illness, disability and death.
Antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines are the cornerstone of modern healthcare. The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens threatens humankind’s ability to perform lifesaving and life-enhancing procedures such as organ transplants, hip replacements, cancer therapies and other surgeries by inhibiting the ability of clinicians to treat common infections. Drug-resistant pathogens also pose significant danger to the health of animals and plants, potentially reducing the productivity of farms and threatening food security.
Antimicrobial resistant bacteria cannot be controlled or killed antibiotics, surviving and multiplying unchecked. Most infection-causing bacteria can become resistant to certain types of antibiotics. Bacteria that become resistant to many antibiotics are known as multi-resistant organisms. Rates of antimicrobial resistance are rising globally, triggering a major public health concern. The most serious ramification is that some bacteria have become resistant to virtually all readily available antibiotics, making infections and diseases more serious and challenging to treat.
On an individual level, patients can all play their part in preventing antimicrobial resistance, by using antibiotics appropriately, completing the course of any prescribed antibiotic, and practicing good hygiene such as handwashing. Antimicrobial resistance is a serious concern for caregivers today. As a result, many care providers and policymakers have taken action to reduce antibiotic resistance by minimizing the prescription of antibiotics, ensuring correct use of antibiotics prescribed, and implementing effective hygiene and infection control practices.
