Antibiotics resistance biggest health threat: J&K doctors

4 October 2024

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Srinagar, Oct 4: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses one of the greatest threats to global health today, jeopardising the treatment of infectious diseases and undermining medical advancements, doctors warned on Friday.

A senior doctor from GMC Srinagar, speaking with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said many powerful antibiotics, once life-saving for millions, have become ineffective.

He said that “superbugs” can cause severe infections for which no cures exist, with antibiotics entering the human system through the food chain.

“Approximately 80 percent of antibiotics are used in the meat industry, administered to cattle, chickens and other livestock as growth promoters. These drugs then enter the human body through meat, milk, water and soil. Think twice and seek advice before using antibiotics,” he cautioned, adding that misuse puts everyone at risk.

The doctor explained that the unnecessary and excessive use of antibiotics has fostered the emergence of resistant bacteria and pathogens, which has led to inadequate treatment for common infections. This escalating issue necessitates exploring various strategies to combat resistance.

“The overuse of antibiotics directly threatens patient health, increasing the risk of adverse effects and the emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms,” he said.

A report published in ‘The Lancet’ in January 2022 revealed that bacterial AMR caused 4.95 million deaths globally by 2019. It predicted 10 million deaths annually by 2050 without effective action.

Dr Irfan, an associate professor at GMC Anantnag, called for responsible antibiotic use and the proper disposal of unused and expired medications. “Such measures can help keep these vital drugs out of the environment and reduce the risk of resistant bacteria development,” he said.

He said that irrational and inappropriate treatments are primary contributors to the evolution of drug-resistant microbes, which lead to hospitals being overrun with these dangerous pathogens. “Inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions contribute to the development of drug-resistant microbes,” he said.

While acknowledging that resistance development is a natural phenomenon, Dr Irfan expressed concern over its amplification due to certain practices. “Inappropriate use of antibiotics is resulting in alarming levels of resistance in the Kashmir Valley,” he said, adding that more than two-thirds of antibiotics prescribed are unnecessary, often for viral infections or conditions unrelated to infections.

The doctor criticised the lack of regulations that allow chemists to dispense antibiotics without proper oversight. “The patients are receiving antibiotics in hospitals without appropriate testing to identify their bacterial infections,” he said.

He called for the establishment of a comprehensive antibiotic policy to eliminate irrational and inappropriate antibiotic use. Such a policy, he said, would rationalise antibiotic usage in both hospitals and the community and create standardised treatment protocols.

Doctors called for region-specific policies, saying that the national guidelines may not adequately address local epidemiological concerns and pathogen prevalence, which vary across different areas. The antibiotic policies should be tailored to the specific antibiogram of each region, they said.

—(KNO)