New Delhi, November 18, 2016: The abuse of antibiotics, or the excessive use of the latter, have led to the rise of hardy antimicrobial superbugs which are currently posing a great threat to human health. According to the World Health Organization, “New resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases. A growing list of infections – such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning and gonorrhoea – are becoming harder, and sometimes impossible, to treat as antibiotics become less effective.” While the issue of antibiotic resistance is one affecting many countries across the globe, the threat is highest in India, the world’s largest consumer of antibiotics and currently the country with the highest rate of tuberculosis in the world.
A new study, carried out by scientists at the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University and published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, sought to study how pharmacies in three cities in India treated patients showing symptoms of tuberculosis and patients diagnosed with the disease. The aim was to observe whether or not pharmacies were promoting the misuse or overuse of antibiotics. The researchers sampled 622 pharmacies in Delhi, Mumbai and Patna.
The results of the study showed that while only some urban pharmacies correctly managed patients with suspected tuberculosis, most correctly managed cases of confirmed tuberculosis. Not a single pharmacy gave clients first- line medication for TB (such as isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide) without a doctor’s prescription, However, they did give out other antibiotics to those with typical TB symptoms without referring them to a doctor. This could lead to a delay in obtaining a correct diagnosis, thereby contributing to the spreading of the disease, said the researchers. The researchers stated that pharmacists need to be trained regarding referring patients for TB testing when the disease may be suspected.
Government involvement is vital, considering that infections which can no longer be treated by antibiotics require the use of more expensive drugs. Patients require longer hospital stays, resulting in unbearable costs for public health, individual families, and society as a whole. Moreover, antibiotic resistance results in a higher mortality rate for diseases like TB, but also for a wide range of treatments and operations, including caesarean births, organ transplants and chemotherapy, which rely on antibiotics to treat (and prevent) infections.
The issue of antibiotic resistance in India needs to be addressed from many perspectives. On the one hand the government should embark on a national plan to reduce the problem, by increasing awareness on the issue, surveying antibiotic-resistant infections more keenly, and strengthening policies to prevent the spread of infection. More investment is likewise required in research and development, so as to create new antibiotics and vaccines, and to improve the standard of diagnostics. Research also needs to be carried out on natural substances such as medical cannabis, which has been found to have powerful antimicrobial effects on tuberculosis and similar microbes. Some of the most powerful cannabinoids that have been found to destroy strains of drug-resistant MRSA and pneumonia, include CBC, CBD, THC, and CBG. New antibiotics have also been developed, though none are currently effective against the most powerful antibiotic-resistant strains.
Doctors and nurses, too, have an important role to play, by educating patients on the importance of taking antibiotics as prescribed, by reporting antibiotic-resistant illnesses to surveillance, and by prescribing antibiotics only when they are truly required. When infectious disease is suspected, those who are ill should be referred to a doctor to obtain proper diagnosis.
Even the agricultural sector can help, by not using antibiotics to promote growth in animals or as a means of prevention. Instead, animals should be vaccinated to prevent them from falling prey to disease. The establishment of conditions and safe practices are also vital.
On an individual level, much can also be done. People must aim to consume only antibiotics which have been prescribed to them specifically. They should also strive to keep infection at bay, through proper sanitation, regular vaccinations, hygienic food preparation, practising safe sex, etc.
Last year, the WHO launched a multi-year campaign whose motto is “Antibiotics: Handle with Care.” It aims to increase awareness and understanding of the issue, to foster stronger surveillance, to promote research, to emphasise the importance of prevention, and to promote investment in battling antimicrobial resistance.
Corporate Comm India(CCI Newswire)
